


Oo De Lally Golly What A Day

by superfandomqueen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (Well Open But It Is Happy), Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, BAMF Lance, BAMF Lance (Voltron), BAMF Shiro (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Allura (Voltron), Canon-Typical Violence, Copious flirting, Crown Prince Shiro, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Knight Keith, Lance Has Altean Alchemy, M/M, Magic, Medieval Themes, Politicking War, Prince Keith, Prince Shiro, Racial Discriminination, Rebel Leader Allura (Voltron), Swearing, Thief Lance, made up magic stuff, shiro and keith are adopted siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:42:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22962604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superfandomqueen/pseuds/superfandomqueen
Summary: Takashi is a prince caught between the politicking and arranged marriages by his uncle, the illness of his father and his love for his country.Lance is an infamous outlaw responsible who is supposed to be kidnapping him.They flirt instead.
Relationships: Allura & Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Shay (Voltron), Krolia & Lance (Voltron), Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Pidge/Allura (Voltron) (Mentioned Briefly), Pre-Relationship Hunk/Keith (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	1. Told You Loud And Clear

**Author's Note:**

> For the Shance Bang 2020.  
> A _MASSIVE_ THANK YOU TO MY AMAZING BETA [LOLE](https://twitter.com/leandralena?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjc18y&refsrc=email) FOR HELPING ME WITH THIS AND BEING JUST A GREAT PERSON IN GENERAL.  
> AND MY ARTIST IN THIS BANG! [/a> GRIFFONSKIES!](https://griffonskies.tumblr.com/) IS INCREDIBLE!

Meetings.

The bane of his existence. They were as painful as they were annoying. Not one of the Royal Council members thought of Takashi as anything more than a daft, overemotional prince.

Most of them disregarded anything he had to say, before he even had a chance to say it. Takashi had learned a _long time ago_ just to pretend to be what they believed him to be. At least this way they continued to talk policy in front of him; unfortunately, while that was easier, it was no less stressful.

Uncle Rudolph had a look on his face. Something between poorly hidden disgust every time he looked at Keith, and what felt like patronizing sympathetic looks every time he met Takashi’s eyes. Uncle Rudolph had never really liked Keith. He was always going on about a street rat that shouldn’t be living in the castle, how he was a saint for respecting his brother’s decision to take in Keith.

“What do you think, Prince Takashi?” his uncle asked. Takashi bit back a smart answer, an actual answer that he knew would be dismissed.

Instead, he blinked at Rudolph with a “confused” look and cocked his head. Like he hadn’t been paying any attention for the last 2 hours.

“Think about what, Uncle Rudolph?” Takashi asked. Keith flicked his eyes over to him before settling back on their uncle. Takashi knew that Keith thought it was stupid for him to continue playing dumb around the advisors and never letting on how much he truly knew. But Keith hadn’t been there when Takashi first started attending these meetings.

At every turn — at least that was what it had felt like — Uncle Rudolph would shoot down Takashi’s ideas and tell him to “think with your head, boy, not your heart”. Never get deeply or emotionally involved with the issues. As if he could not be involved! It was his kingdom! His home! It was personal to his people, so it was personal to him!

Uncle Rudolph’s smile was very clearly forced, as Takashi continued to pretend that his confusion and lack of understanding was genuine. Again.

“What do you think about the crops? And the yield? Shall we purchase more for our storage?”

Takashi bit his lip, eyes forced wide in confusion. “Well, what else can we do? Is the yield not good enough?” He purposely glanced between Uncle Rudolph and the Keeper of the grains and Foods who had a log of how much they had stored. Takashi probably took a _little_ too much joy in Uncle Rudolph’s irritation. Maybe he was getting to be a bit on the vindictive side.

“None the matter. We shall keep an eye on the stores, and how much is sold between now and the harvest then,” Uncle Rudolph addressed the Keeper. Uncle Rudolph’s attention turned back to the princes, eyes mainly on Takashi. “That shall be all, nephew. There is nothing else that demands your attention.”

Biting back another smartass comment, Takashi kept up the facade. He nodded, making sure his expression is innocent, and free of his underlying frustration.

He can’t help but wonder that _maybe_ if he hadn’t played his part so damn well, he’d actually be apart of the war meetings. Or rather war _s_.

Corona’s personal war against the neighboring kingdom, Artemisia, had been going on for at least 50 years by now. The two kingdoms would make a peace treaty and then it’d be broken. Then, they’d make another peace treaty. And again, it would be broken. Rinse and repeat.

Then, there was the ‘Big War’. The one happening right on Corona’s doorstep. The Dark Kingdom versus all other kingdoms. 

All fell before the Dark Kingdom and its ruthless king, Zarkon. The very first to fall had been Altea, the fae kingdom. Altea had put up the biggest fight out of them all, and they had been entirely wiped out.

The Dark Kingdom was home to a race of shapeshifters, most commonly known as Galra.

Corona and Artemisia were two of the last remaining kingdoms that the Dark Kingdom’s reach hadn’t touched. Yet. 

The Dark War was creeping ever closer, while the war between Corona and Artemisia was continuing to drain both of their resources.

“Alright.” Takashi stood, smiling brightly at the council members. “This was a good meeting! I hope you all have a great rest of the day!”

Takashi waved at them with closed eyes and tittered a little as he left the room, keeping the forced smile on his face until he was nearly to his room. The irony of his room being in a tower was not lost on him.

  
~

Catching up to him, for what felt like the millionth time, Keith asked, “Why not just tell it to them straight?”

When Takashi didn’t respond, Keith tried again, “They have to listen to you, right?”

Takashi sighed, rubbing his temples. “Can we not go over this again?”

“I am just saying!”

“For the millionth and one time.”

Keith huffed. “What are you going to do?”

“I am visiting Father,” Takashi said.

Scowling, Keith said, “I meant, what are you going to do about the council.”

Stopping in front of a familiar set of carved doors, Takashi turned to his brother. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?!”

“Yes, _nothing_. There was nothing I could do to begin with, since they don't want to hear me.”

Keith gapped at his back.

  
~

Takashi picked at his lunch, carefully pushing it around his plate so it seemed he had eaten. He could not stand the thought of eating when he knew in mere minutes the next suitor would be showing.

The Crown Prince winced as the doors swung open with a small clatter, and he glanced up at the appearance of the latest suitor.

It took a week for the messenger to send the invitation to House Ashwater, and return with the answer. The answer, unfortunately, was yes and there stood Lord Jacobus Ashwater, smiling broadly at the gathered royal family.

“Ah! It is good to see you arrived in good health, Lord Jacobus,” Uncle Rudolph greeted, standing up from his chair. Takashi glanced miserably at Keith; who attempted to send a sympathetic look back.

Leaving his half eaten lunch, the Crown Prince politely played host. Uncle Rudolph gave him a warning look when he passed.

Takashi lead Lord Jacobus on the tour of the castle and its grounds.

Lord Jacobus smirked, his acid green eyes gleaming as he trailed his fingers down Takashi’s arm as they ate their picnic in the royal gardens. The spot the lord had chosen was a secluded part of the gardens, and it set Takashi’s nerves on edge.

“Crown Prince, how many rooms did you say your castle has?” Lord Jacobus asked with faux innocence, his pale blonde hair shining in the sunlight. Takashi wanted to move away, but his uncle’s warning repeated in his mind.

Suitable suitors were running out. If Takashi kept rejecting all the available ones they could potentially have many offended families on their hands..

“It is around three hundred, I believe,” Takashi answered hesitantly. Really not wanting to give the lord another reason to want him. It was just another glaringly obvious point that all Lord Jacobus cared about was Takashi’s power and wealth.

Takashi knew that his brother was nearby, alongside the guards. The knowledge was comforting. The only comforting thing about this whole situation.

“Three hundred you say, Crown Prince.” Lord Jacobus bit his lip, his hand slipping off of Takashi’s arm and grazing the prince’s waist.

Had it not been for the fact that Takashi was already stiff as a stone; he would’ve stiffened at the touch.

Takashi could hear the catch of Lord Jacobus’ breath, as the lord’s wandering hands curved over Takashi’s thighs.

Not daring to think; Takashi leapt to his feet — and away from Lord Jacobus. Takashi stuttered out the first excuse that came to mind, forgetting it immediately.

Spinning on his heel, Takashi all but ran from the garden.

  
~

Panting, Takashi fought back tears. He was more than certain that he’d trade anything not to be _Crown Prince Takashi_. Forever would be incredible. For the rest of the day, perhaps or even just a few hours would be blissful.

His stomach turned; the phantom feeling of Lord Jaco— _his_ hands caressing him. Just the thought sent a shudder through him.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Takashi attempted to hold onto his lunch.

Takashi was sick of his uncle and father trying to arrange a marriage that benefitted both kingdoms and houses, rather than one that would make him happy.

There had to be another option. Takashi could not stand another Lord Jacobus. He could not stand the man, let alone another one like him.

Takashi’s mother hadn’t been of noble blood; he knew that, but he could not, for the life of him remember how she ended up marrying his father.

All of the possible suitors were horrible. Either daft, selfish, self-absorbed or all three! Or, even worse, intelligent and self-serving. Lord Jacobus was a wondrous example of that. If they were going to find a suitor to become his betrothed, it would have to at least be someone he could stand to be around. People like _them_ drove Takashi nuts. There were so many selfish people, most of them having more money than they knew what to do with. _Bloody selfish nobles._ They didn’t care about the baker down the road with 5 kids, or the seamstress barely making her rent, or...or... _any of them_. All they cared about was themselves and things that would benefit them. The royals, the rich, they were the ones who didn’t care.

Just thinking about them brought up unnoble-like ideas of how to deal with them. Serving them some of their own medicine.

Takashi would take a Princess Dauntra over a Lord Jacobus any day.

At least Princess Dauntra was not the worst suitor to try and woo him, but it was really her parents that wanted the power. She was a little ditzy and a little annoying, but not the worst. A lot better than this lord Uncle Rudolph had shoved at him.

Takashi shuddered thinking of a few of the others that his father and uncle had tried to pair him off with. His mood soured even more, thinking about his father’s condition.

He had more important things to worry about than suitors. Like _his people, and the war_. Takashi snorted lightly, as if he was likely to get any information on the war, or ever be allowed to take part in the councils.

At least he could help feed the townspeople. Even if, or perhaps despite people like Lord Jacobus or his uncle not agreeing.

Takashi straightened up from his slumped position. The walls were too close, too tight. He needed… he needed… Takashi blinked back tears, he needed his father.

Yes, that is what he needed.  
  


~

Resting his hand on the door to his father’s chambers, Takashi stopped. It felt as if it had been weeks since he last saw his father, but it had only been a few days. Takashi inhaled deeply.

_Had it really been ten years since King Eito brought Keith home?_ Takashi thought. He had sent Keith off to go train, the Knight Prince had his own duties to tend to, besides looking out for his brother. The younger prince had followed after him when he had bolted out of the garden. A stark reminder of how much, and how little Keith has changed since he was first brought home.

A rough-looking 12-year-old, covered from head to toe in dirt and grime, caught stealing something from the king himself. The street rat had gained the king’s attention while deftly moving across the tops of the stalls and dodging through the crowd while guards chased him. It had taken _weeks_ for Takashi to gain Keith’s trust, and oh boy, the younger boy really had not wanted to stay in the castle. He had not believed that King Eito had wanted to keep him, and as a son no less. 

Keith had been put in a room just a staircase away from Takashi’s. Keith was in the room at the bottom of the spiraling staircase and Takashi at the top. His body had been terribly fragile from catching every illness that had come his way. And despite Takashi being constantly sick at that time, Keith was one of his few regular visitors.

The younger boy’s excuse had always been that the view was better at the top of the tower, or whatever other poor excuse he could think of on the fly. Keith always seemed to be surprised by the fact that he showed up in Takashi’s room, again. Takashi never complained, it was nice to have company. _Actual_ company.

Takashi slid his hand down the handle on the door of his father’s chambers, remembering his first time meeting Keith. The memory so clear it could’ve been just yesterday.

  
  


_The scruffy boy fidgeted under all of the attention. Takashi could understand that attention wasn’t always good. Especially for someone who had made a life of avoiding it, because when they did, it wasn’t ever the good kind of attention._

_Takashi glanced between his father -- Mother had passed in childbirth, may her soul rest in peace -- and the king’s brother, Rudolph. The young prince cleared his throat._

_“F-father, how about I show him around the castle?” Takashi offered._

_The king frowned. “I do not want you to stress yourself, Takashi.”_

_“I will be fine,” Takashi assured. He hated that look from his father, he knew King Eito loved him, but he also coddled him. Yes, he had weak immunity to illnesses, and often would spend days in bed recovering from a little cough. True, he wasn’t all strength, but he could at least_ live _without the looks and the constant worrying that always upset his mood._

_Takashi understood that there needed to be more than one prince, more than one possible heir. Keith was strong, Takashi could appreciate that, but he wanted to get to know his new_ brother _without everyone watching them._

_“Keith — can I call you that? — I will show you around,” Takashi stated, grinning at him. The boy refused to meet his eyes. Takashi swallowed. “Let’s go, shall we?”_

_Keith followed him quietly as Takashi leaned against his cane to keep himself upright._

  
  


It had been years since then, Takashi grew up and had fallen ill less and less as his immunity strengthened. But for the last five years, King Eito was the one who was constantly ill. Takashi knew his father was slowly dying. It was obvious that Keith could barely stand the sight of how bad it had gotten. His pale skin and hollow cheeks, the wheezing cough every few breaths. The way his hands looked like they were bones covered in parchment thin skin.

It was hard to see him that way.

He forced himself to shake off the thought, to think about something else.

Takashi had a favorite memory of Keith’s first year; it was when the boy had shown up in his room late at night after a nightmare and was in need of another bath. He hadn’t fully grasped the idea that he could use as much water and soap as he wanted, and that he should do so regularly.

  
  


_Keith stood in front of him. Takashi was pretty sure that he was_ caked _in mud._

_It had been a few moons, and he had improved so much already, accepting that he was a part of the Shirogane family now. Accepting that he didn’t have to steal to survive. Even his manners and the way he ate had improved; it was less like he was starving and didn’t know when his next meal would be. He no longer shoved as much food as possible, into his mouth, nearly forgetting to chew before swallowing. He took his time eating now._

_The boy shuffled in front of him, looking rather uncomfortable. Takashi’s face lit up. He barely got to see anyone outside of his maids and servants, other than Father and Uncle Rudolph._

_“Keith! Come in!” Takashi hobbled past him clearing his throat. Calling out of his door, “Maid Beatrice.”_

_“Yes, Prince?”_

_“Bring some warm water, please!” Takashi called back as he turned back to Keith. Keith’s eyes were wide, staring at him. “What?”_

_“Why the water?”_

_“You need a bath, you’re covered in mud.”_

_“Oh.” Keith’s eyes flicked to the floor, shame flooding his body language._

_“Which is something that can be easily fixed by having a bath!” Takashi explained, grinning at Keith. He was_ trying _to reassure the new prince. “I’ll help you if you want.”_ _  
__Keith’s brow furrowed, he looked up but not_ at _Takashi. “Help me...bathe?”_ _  
_

_“Like wash your back where you cannot reach and help wash your hair. It_ might _be less embarrassing if I help you instead of the maids. I understand, leaning on others for help can be hard--”_

_“Alright.”_

_“Huh?”_

_“I guess… I… would… like your help…” Keith didn’t meet his eyes. But any progress was progress! If he was comfortable enough to accept his offer, than that was progress._

_Takashi smiled brightly at his brother. He had always wanted a sibling, always thought it would make his life less lonely._

  
  


Takashi swallowed thickly and steeled himself, pushing the door open. “Father.”

There was a hoarse cough, then the familiar and reassuring voice. “Takashi, my boy.”

The Crown Prince slipped into the room. His father’s dark eyes met his. “I am sorry it has taken me so long to come visit.”

“That is alright, son. I know you have your own duties,” King Eito said, smiling tiredly at Takashi. Takashi’s heart squeezed, he was supposed to have duties, but he did not really. Uncle Rudolph never agreed with how he performed his duties, and it always ended up with someone else taking over and relieving Takashi of the duty.

All in all, he -- the Crown Prince -- had more than enough time to spare to visit his father. He just could not bare to lie to the king. How was Takashi supposed to explain that his uncle thought he was so hopeless at his duties, that he did not even bother to give them to him anymore? Bitter shame lingered on his tongue at the thought of his father’s inevitable disappointment.

“How are you today?” Takashi asked, biting back a tumbling confession.

“I am fine,” his father answered, immediately followed by a harsh cough. Takashi sent him a look. Only receiving a small smile in return. “ _Fine,_ as I said. How are you?”

Takashi smiled weakly. “I have been better.”

King Eito nodded, reaching for his son’s hand. Takashi gave it wordlessly. “What is troubling you so?”

Why was he surprised? Takashi knew his father could read him well. After all, that was a good part of why visiting him was so hard.

Takashi felt a frown form on his face. “How did you and Mother become betrothed in the first place? I know she wasn’t one of the suitors.”

The king’s face lit up. “I met her during the Tournament of the Hand! She fought splendidly! She won against all of the other competitors, even the nobles… earning my hand in marriage,” Eito explained, brushing his thumb over Takashi’s knuckles. “I had been hesitant about it, but I was the only royal child. There was little choice when it came to whether or not the Tournament be held for me. It is a great honor, and a favored tradition of Corona. I hope to see you or Keith witness possible suitors battle for the right to marry you.”

Takashi stared at his father. “I had forgotten about the Tournament!”

Eito tutted jokingly. “How dare thou!”

Takashi burst out with a shock of laughter. Eito joined in easily before his round broke into coughing. His father waved off Takashi’s concern as the prince tried to help.

“I am fine, _really_ ,” Eito assured. “What has you asking?”

Takashi knew his face gave it away by the softening of Eito’s face and the tightened grip on his hand. His father’s soft “Takashi” prompted him to speak.

“I… the suitors are not working out.” Takashi confessed, hanging his head. “There is none that I find myself even curious about let alone truly wanting to spend time with.”

“Sometimes it takes time for you to connect,” Eito assured.

Takashi squeezed his eyes shut. “I am not sure I have that patience for them.”

“Patience yields focus.”

Takashi’s lips quirked up against his will. “I know that, Father.”

Eito made an agreeing noise.

Inhaling deeply, Takashi let out his burning question, “What if the Tournament of the Hand was held for me?”

“If that is what you wish, it will be so.”

  
~

It was just one of the many places he hadn’t been allowed to go while growing up, since he was constantly ill. As a child the illnesses had seemed like a curse, but now he can appreciate its blessing since he built up a strong immunity. Nowadays, he’s well enough to go places where he couldn’t before. Unfortunately, in missing those years he hadn’t gotten the chance to receive proper knight training, and now all his time is taken up by utterly pointless meetings.

He had arrived at the training field just in time to see Lord Jacobus lose his temper and storm back to the castle.

Once the lord was out of sight, Takashi leaned against the archway; watching as his brother took on two of the senior knights, Sir Sablan and Sir Te-Osh. Keith spun his sword expertly and blocked. Jabbing his sword towards Sir Te-Osh and using his shield to block Sir Sablan’s attack at the same time.

Keith locked his sword with Sir Te-Osh’s, disarming her in one swift move. Clocking Sir Sablan in the jaw, Keith carefully and steadily held the tip of his sword pointed at the knight’s chest.

From the distance, Takashi could not hear what they said as Keith stepped out of range.

The Knight Prince gestured to some of the younger knights. He discarded his shield as Sir Ryan, Sir Nadia, Sir James, and Sir Olia all stepped out to aid the other knight.

Three of them were from noble families. The other one, Sir Olia, had fought her way up the ranks and proved herself. So many times. In Takashi’s personal opinion, she was one of the best knights in the kingdom. Right alongside Sir Te-Osh.

Both women proved themselves to be of good heart and incredible strength. Lucky to live in one of the few kingdoms that allowed non-nobles to become knights.

He could also be a little bit biased, they were the two knights that Keith got along with best.

Takashi didn’t miss the way Sir Nadia’s and Sir James’ eyes locked on to him, or Keith’s scowling look as he swiped Sir James’ legs out from underneath him and pressed the tip of his sword to Sir Nadia’s chest.

Takashi could see Keith scold the knights for getting distracted.

Keith looked at him only to roll his eyes and look towards the knights, mouthing “you are distracting” at Takashi.

Takashi just grinned in response and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes again, Keith turned back to his sparring.

Watching his brother best the knights, again, was entertaining. All but Sir Olia was disarmed.

Sir Olia and Keith circled each other, waiting for the other to attack. Inevitably, it would be Keith. It always was.

Lunging forward, Keith brought his sword down. Sir Olia blocked gracefully, pushing back.

Spinning out of the way, Sir Olia swung. A little too close for Takashi’s comfort, but Keith caught her blade on his and held it away from his face.

Keith slid the blades together, moving into her space. Before he could get any closer a fist met his face. Stumbling back, the younger prince caught himself before grinning up at the young knight as he swung.

The clang of metal echoed around the field.

Sir Olia was not going easy on him, combining her swings with punches from all angles.

Keith jabbed with his broadsword. Sir Olia dropped, knocking Keith’s legs out from underneath him, before she popped back up. Pressing the tip of her sword to his chest.

The knight prince grinned up at her.

Sheathing her sword, Sir Olia offered him a hand up. Takashi was surprised when Keith took it, the knight pulled Keith up easily. He clapped her on the shoulder, smiling.

Sir Sablan cleared his throat. “I think that is enough training for today.”

There were soft murmurs between the knights and they collected their weapons before heading for the armoury.

Takashi slipped into the back of the group, walking up next to his brother as they passed. “How was training?”

The knights kept walking even after Keith stopped. Looking up at Takashi, Keith raised an eyebrow. “How was your visit with Father?”

Watching the knights disappear around the corner, Takashi answered, “It was good. I have much to think on. How was training?”

“It was good.”

“It looked like you were having fun out there.”

“I was. You should join sometime.”

“Perhaps,” Takashi conceded. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Are you prepared for tonight?”

“I have south, right?”

Takashi nodded, squeezing Keith’s shoulder. “You will be fine.”

There was an odd look on Keith’s face. “Oh, I should probably warn you about Lord ‘Clotpole’.”

“Who now?” Takashi asked, his eyebrows shooting up. Keith itched the underside of his jaw.

“I may or may not have severely bruised his ego.”

  
  
~

After retrieving his cloak, Takashi smiled and waved to the guards as he passed. He walked briskly, but trying his best to not look like he’s rushing. Takashi felt something bubbling in his chest. He knew without a doubt it was excitement. It was the same feeling he had every night they did this.

With his hand on the brick wall, Takashi set down his candle blowing the flame out as he pushed on the specific brick, making the wall shift and slide inward.

Pulling his cloak tighter around himself, Takashi glanced around in search of the knights he knew were standing guard tonight. Clutching his basket of food, he made his way across the courtyard, eyes skimming over his surroundings before ducking down an alley.

“Why are we even bothering?” a familiar voice asked irritably. Takashi holds in a curse, of course it’s _Sir James._ “If we are so lax about the princes security what is even the point of these patrols?”

_What in the world?_

“Even if we did not patrol, the princes would find a way out if they truly wanted to,” Sir Sablan responded. “Besides, you know how testy Prince Keith gets when he’s not allowed out.”

There was a snort. “He is like some sort of caged animal rather than a prince.”

Takashi gritted his teeth, holding himself back. The questions, and the amount of trouble he would get into for being out would not be worth the satisfaction of defending Keith. Even if he really wanted to give them a talking to for saying such things about Keith.

Keith wasn’t your average prince, most princes weren’t —

“That’s what you get when you bring in a street rat.”

Takashi forced himself to take a steadying breath, and then backtrack, till he turned down a different alleyway. Leaning his head on the brick wall, Takashi counted his breaths. It would probably turn out to be pointless. Telling the knights off for saying such stupid, horrible — Takashi broke off the line of thought; Uncle Rudolph would just use it as an example of why he shouldn’t be taking part in the meetings. He would say that he’s too emotionally biased, he would —.

_Deep breath Takashi._

On top of that, Keith would be pissed. Last time he had tried to stand up for Keith and told off the knights, Keith had refused to speak to him for a week. Takashi knew it had been the right thing to do, but… it had embarrassed and pissed off his brother. Keith had never been one to let someone else do the fighting for him, even when he should.

Sighing heavily, Takashi stiffened when Sir James and Sir Sablan’s voices came back into range. Takashi spun in a circle, desperately searching for a hiding place.

Ducking into a doorway of a nearby house, Takashi pressed himself out of sight.

“That Crown Prince should know better...” Sir Sablan said as they passed, the rest of the words fading out as they walked out of hearing range. Good. Takashi didn’t need to hear another person tearing him down.

Takashi let out a sigh of relief as he relaxed against the doorway, catching his breath as he listened to the guards tromp away. Keith would scoff at him later, but in the meantime…

Takashi checked his basket, making sure he still had everything he needed, and was relieved to see all the food was still in one piece. Straightening up, he glanced down the alleyway again for any sign of the guards, before heading off.

Takashi continued on his way, passing through the dark streets, ducking onto even darker ones. He stopped to speak a little with each person he passed, before heading onto the next block, the basket growing lighter with every stop.

Wearing peasant clothes allowed him to fit in better with his people, even if the white streak in his hair gave him away. The people never commented on it anymore, not since the first year he started doing this. It allowed him to relax, be away from his princely duties and the expectations of the Court. Away from all of the pretending.

Taking the time to hand out food to the homeless and poor was important. The hassle and effort it took to get the food from the kitchens, and then escape his guards, was always beyond worth it when he saw the people’s smiles. It was endlessly frustrating to him that despite his status as the Crown Prince of Corona, almost no one seemed to care about anything he had to say, only his good looks. They never listened to him, or cared about his opinions on anything of importance. The ladies and lords that visited only ever wished to hear about the upcoming balls and the newest fashions from him.

  
  
~

He stopped in the alley farthest from the Castle.

“What’s wrong with Nathaniel?” A little girl asked Takashi, looking past her curtain of blue hair. Bekka, he belatedly remembered her name; she was part faerie, the Altean descent obvious on her cheekbones with the soft purple sicles cornering her eyes. Takashi suppressed a sigh; despite the laws of Corona never being directly against the faeries, many looked down on them. Ever since the Alteans had been nearly wiped out at the beginning of the war. No doubt she’d been getting the side eye from everyone.

Another thing for him to fix when his father passed the King’s crown onto him; make sure the laws that included non-humans were amended, so they could live in peace and get jobs in Corona.

Takashi smiled gently, crouching down to her level. Takashi explained to her, “Nathaniel is just a little sick, Bekka. I brought some medicine for him.”

Bekka nodded slowly. “Oh.”

She was curled into her brother’s side. The stark contrast between the pastel blue hair and dark skin showed the gaunt cheeks of her face. Bekka looked a lot like her brother, they would have been almost identical if nathaniel wasn’t so pale from illness. His fever was high, far too high to be even a little healthy, even for a part-fae.

“Nathaniel, you need to have some of this medicine. It’ll make you feel better,” Takashi spoke softly. He wasn’t the best with children — better than Keith, but that isn’t saying much — but he was alright.

Nathaniel shifted away from Takashi, not daring to look away from the human. Takashi felt a wave of anger. A kid Nathaniel’s age shouldn’t have to be so distrusting already. It was a harsh reminder to Takashi of what living on the streets was like for the eldery or the young street urchins. While the streets of Corona weren’t the worst, they were still far from the best either.

Nathaniel, Bekka, and Keith were proof of that.

Forcing a frown to stay off of his face, Takashi slowly took Bekka’s hand, pressing the medicine vial into her hand. “Bekka, here, take this vial of medicine. It’s your brother’s choice if wants to take it, but it will heal him..”

At Bekka’s nod, Takashi stood up. Feeling a prickling unease at the back of his neck, like someone was watching him, he scanned the area. Not seeing anything unusual, Takashi shook himself.

_You’re just being paranoid_ , Takashi thought. 

Flicking his hood up, he smiled warmly at the two kids. As Takashi worked his way back towards the castle, his eyes caught movement and he glanced upwards.

Revising his earlier thought about his jumpiness, Takashi corrected himself. _Maybe it isn’t so bad, if it keeps you alive._

Twisting back through familiar streets, Takashi took turn after turn. Dutifully, he avoided where he knew the most townsfolk would be passing.

He was walking around the corner, head caught in his web of thoughts,when he felt the tug of gravity as his foot landed wrong on an uneven part of the cobblestone. He braced himself for impact, cursing his clumsiness. _As soon as I get back to the castle and Keith is out of his knight training, I am getting him to spar with me again. How did I let myself get so clumsy? Ugh. What utter ridiculousness, the Crown Prince should damn well know how to fight at least enough to recover my own balance. I know how to dance! Fighting really is not much different. Yes, of course, there are sharp weapons. Keith should sneak one of his damn swords into my room. Heh, he’d complain about me stabbing myself by fooling around with sharp objects. I do not fool around with sharp objects. What complete utter bullshit—_

Instead of hitting the ground he felt an arm wind around his waist, stopping his descent, and heard a warm chuckle. “I don’t think someone as handsome as you should greet the ground in such a graceless manner.”

Takashi let out a slightly nervous laugh. “Depends how highly you think of me.”

His saviour chuckled. “There is truth to what you say.”

Opening his eyes, Takashi was greeted by a gorgeous sight. He could already hear Keith rolling on the floor with laughter with how he would describe his savior. The person that caught him was handsome, to put it lightly.

In the evening light, Takashi got caught in the gaze of stunning royal blue eyes with a mischievous glimmer, watching him curiously. “What were you running from? You looked like a cat trying to avoid a broom...”

A smirk was gracing his plump lips, and it only emphasized his chocolate brown hair, and skin the colour of dark amber. All he could think about was kissing the smirk off of his face, and he didn’t even know the guy’s name!

But he wasn’t really thinking about that, the single thought he was processing was: _Quiznackity quiznack, he’s_ hot _._ The man’s question already forgotten.

“Hey there, gorgeous” the man purred teasingly. Neither of them really meeting each other's eyes. Sadly, the man seemed to realize they were chest to chest and straightened them up; allowing Takashi to get his feet back underneath him, but he gently held onto Takashi’s hips all the while. Takashi couldn’t stop his mind from plummeting down the scandalous parts of his mind.

Internally smacking himself, he blurted out, “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

The man chuckled again, and Takashi realized that the man was only a few inches shorter than himself. He looked up at Takashi _through his eyelashes_. Takashi was too busy with his internal panic, to notice the man's eyes flit away from him again. How was he supposed to deal with an attractive man like this one?

“Thank you for the compliment.” The man said and the corners of his eyes crinkled as a grin spread across his face. Takashi was struck by how _young_ the man looked, not much younger then himself. 

“What would you like to be called? Since I probably should call you something other than tall, dark, and handsome.”

_Oh, he is flirting. Oh my._ Takashi pulled up short, freaking out a little as he scrambled for a name. “Shiro.”

“Well, Shiro,” he purred again. “You can call me Lance.”

“Pleasure to meet you, _Lance_. Thank you for catching me, that would’ve been embarrassing,” He answered, enjoying the way the man’s name rolled off of his tongue. Lance seemed to realize his hands were still holding onto his hips, and he politely stepped out of his personal space. Takashi rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the familiar heat rise up his neck. “Are you new to town, Lance?”

Lance’s smirk morphed into a more sincere smile, tilting his head. “I am. How could you tell? Was it my face?”

Takashi studiously ignored the heat in his cheeks. “I haven’t seen you around…” He paused, an idea forming. “I could show you around, I know the town well. As payment for saving me.”

Lance grinned, perking up. “I’d _love_ for you to show me around, Shiro.”

Takashi smiled back, relaxing some when Lance reached out to brush a strand of long hair out of his face. Takashi had wondered why Lance didn’t know his face, why he didn’t react to the sight of his white streaked hair, but being new explained it. Only the townspeople really knew his face; or that the Crown Prince was famous for his partly white hair.

It was refreshing. Someone not knowing him as only the Crown Prince. He could have wept with joy, it was so nice after his hellacious time with the lord.

They walked all over the town, the whole time there was a small ball of warmth in his chest.

Takashi never wanted the day to end, but the lights winking out in the passing windows was a reminder that he had other places to be. Soon, he would be forced from Lance’s side and his company and jokes would be gone from his life.

Unfortunately, it had to end.

With a heavy heart, Takashi bid the newcomer goodbye.

It was almost too easy to get back into his room. Takashi would’ve been suspicious; if it wasn’t normal for his guards to be this terrible at their jobs. Sir Sablan was right, if Keith or him really wanted to leave the safety of the castle, it wouldn’t be hard. After all, they knew the castle the best.

Sitting on his windowsill, Takashi gazed over the town and up at the stars. The town had slowed down for the night, but he was sure that the pubs were still busy. The never-ending stream of travellers and townspeople looking for a good time kept them busy.

Each of the kingdoms were so… different, but that didn't stop immigration between them.

The animal shapeshifters, or more well known as the Galra, were one example. They were from the Dark Kingdom — no one knows what the original name of their kingdom was, it was lost long before anyone kept information of that sort. They could shift from humanoid to animal, their humanoid forms were always massive. The shortest was known to be 6’7”. Galra could be found in any kingdom, though most were in the kingdoms that were taken over by the Dark Kingdom.

Other shapeshifters were the Altean Celestial Alchemists; the rest of Alteans were connected to nature and all bore the colored sickles under their eyes. The Celestial Alchemists were the only ones recorded to be able to change their shape and looks. At least that was the only ones, Takashi knew of. Alteans were something else entirely. They had the same strength as the Galra, but they were faeries. They were praised for being the most connected to nature and magic out of any of the known Fair Folk. They were stronger than humans, their magical skills unmatched, even by the born magicians of Olkarion.

Kingdoms like the Olkarion were mixed races, Olkarion’s are descent of elves and dwarves. Their skills in magic were only bested by the Alteans. The Olkarion were known for their magic and their crafting skills. They were never to be crossed; unless, of course, you wanted to be cursed for a lifetime.

Corona and the kingdoms around it were mainly inhabited by humans, but there were other races too. Some shapeshifters, elves, and even fae appeared from time to time. Most of the elves and dwarves had disappeared into nooks and crannies, as the war tore through the kingdoms.

Hearing the shifting of rocks, he glanced at the wall as it moved away to reveal a short figure.

Chuckling at the sight, Takashi teased, “Are hooded cloaks the fashion statement of the century, brother?”

He could practically hear his brother’s eye roll. Keith dumped himself on the bed, groaning as his muscles protested.

“Why do all of the knights enjoy giving me a grozitton of bruises?” Keith complained. Takashi grinned at his younger brother, joining him on the bed, and opening his book.

“One, _language_ , cursing is _unbecoming_ for a prince. Two, because you never back down and end up taking more than you can handle. Anyway, how did handing out the food go?”

Keith groaned lowly. “The kids still hate me, maybe a _little_ less than before, but _still_... I am just glad... they are getting food.”

Keith sat up slowly, rolling his shoulder as he hummed thoughtfully. 

“I am glad that we do this.”

Takashi nodded. He’s not just glad that they make time to help their people, but also that Keith knows intimately how the common people feel, and that he feels is useful. As the princes of Corona, Uncle Rudolph — the King’s Regent — had forbidden them from taking any part in battle or leaving the kingdom unless it was for a hunting trip or ride. He said that he didn’t want what had happened to Takashi’s mother to happen to them. Especially with their father’s state of health. But that often left them feeling disconnected from their people, until they started to hand out food...

“I am glad I have gotten to understand you,” Takashi admitted. “You are so vague about everything.”

Keith pulled a face as Takashi grinned.

“Now, off to bed with you. It is late. Unfortunately, we have to work tomorrow and need the energy to function.”

Keith rolled his eyes, but nodded and muttered a quick ‘goodnight’. Removing himself from Takashi’s room, the door closed softly behind him.

Crawling under his covers, Takashi spared one last look out his window before rolling onto his side, entirely missing the shadow flitting away from the window.

~~

“I cannot do this!”

Pidge looked up from their work as Black Hood came sweeping into their shared inn room. The spy wore a pout as he kicked his feet up on the table next to their work.

“Get your dirty feet away from my book,” Pidge hissed as they gave him a dirty look. Sliding their book away to perch precariously on the ledge of the table. “What can you not do?”

“The mission,” Black Hood responded.

Pidge stared openly at him. Some days, they could not believe the rumored Black Hood was like _this_.

Not that they were really sure what they had expected, but it certainly wasn’t someone who made terrible jokes at the worst possible times. Like the one time he walked around with an arrow sticking out of him, and asking if everyone else was alright. Yet he would still whine and complain about a _parchment cut_. Of all things!

“ _Hunk_ ,” he groaned.

“Yes?” the blacksmith answered from his seat in front of the hearth.

“Why is it that the one time the money is good, the person is better?”

The tall, broad blacksmith looked up from whatever concoction he was making for them to feast on that night. His dark sun kissed skin glowed in the firelight.

“What is this about?”

“I cannot kill or kidnap the Crown Prince,” Black Hood said in his oddly blunt way. There only seemed to be extremes with him, even if he was at the core, a fairly mellow guy. Most of the time. One example, he was either coolly blunt and to the point or would be colorful with his words to the point it was painful. “He doesn’t fit with my policy.”

They nearly snorted at the word. _Policy_. Who would have thought that an outlaw, a famous thief and now spy would have a policy. Least of all, one that he stuck to so completely. He only ever took from or harmed the ones that deserved it, or could spare the money.

_The Black Hood._ Pidge could remember the first time they had heard that name mentioned. It had been, at most, five weeks before their father and brother had disappeared. Some village in the east had some vigilante — _an outlaw_ — sweep through, not taking anything, but beating the Galra soldiers half to death and returning the people’s money. The stories continued on, more often than not there had also been a tragic accident as well.

A grainery was burnt down or there had been a flood, a devastating storm.

_Had it really been five years already,_ since they had set out _?_ Pidge wondered.

Five years since their father and brother disappeared. Pidge knew without a doubt that their disappearance had to do with Galra soldiers visiting their workshop mere days before. That happenstance is what lead Pidge to Allura and the Blade, or rather lead them all to Pidge. From there, they had helped the Blade find an ally in Black Hood, who had become the infamous thief.

Black Hood had been more than a rumour for many. The vigilante had given hope to those stuck under the Dark Kingdom’s rule. Hope, that the Galra weren’t invincible; hope, that there really were people out fighting to keep the Dark Kingdom from continuing to spread its poison.

There were so few countries left that weren’t under Zarkon’s rule, that were strong enough to fight. Corona was one of the few countries.

“Might I remind you that you will have to inform Allura and Kolivan about this,” Pidge piped up. Smirking, as the Hood threw his head back and groaned dramatically.

“Do. Not.”


	2. Floating On Air

The next morning, Takashi nibbled on his food. He ignored the dark glare from Lord Jacobus and the pointed looks from his uncle. Instead he 

Thinking of Lance made him wonder where they could possibly meet again. Where they could go? There was so much to see. What would they do? There was so much Takashi had not experienced himself. The thought of experiencing the little things that Corona had to offer with Lance was… appealing beyond belief.

There was something about Lance that put him at ease. In a way no one, not even his family ever had.

Uncle Rudolph disturbed Takashi’s daydream of walking the streets with the handsome traveller by clearing his throat. “Takashi, how was your evening?”

Takashi blinked. That was a dangerous question. The Crown Prince wasn’t sure there was a right answer, but he had to answer either way. Swallowing his bite of bread, he said carefully, “It was alright.”

“Mmmhmm, may I ask why you left Lord Jacobus on his own?”

Takashi tensed. “I had remembered that there was something that demanded my attention.”

“What was this urgent job you had to attend to?”

Takashi opened his mouth to respond.

“I asked him to get something for me,” Keith answered in his brother’s stead. “I had the blacksmith fixing one of my knives. I needed it before sundown, and I was busy with training all today.” The Knight Prince sent a challenging look at the lord when he opened his mouth. “Takashi offered to get it for me.”

Takashi stared at his brother. Keith’s words flowed too well. It took him a second to realize his brother had practiced that answer.

“Is this true, Takashi?”

He nodded. “It is, uncle.”

“I see.”

Takashi swallowed his peas. “Uncle,” he started carefully. “I need to speak with you.” Flicking his eyes to Lord Jacobus. “Alone, please.”

Uncle Rudolph’s eyes narrowed then smoothed out. “Keith,” he said, the name reluctant on the man’s tongue, “will you show our guest how you and the knights usually train?”

Keith smiled _pleasantly_ , but something flashed in his eyes. “I would be delighted. Lord Jacobus, shall we go now?”

The lord gave Keith an almost nervous look. “I suppose now is as good of a time as any.”

Uncle Rudolph smiled at the lord, prompting Takashi to do the same. Lord Jacobus returned an equally tense smile, his acid eyes boring into the elder prince.

As the dining room doors closed, separating Takashi from the rest of the castle. Takashi felt his stomach churn, had it not been for Keith’s fast thinking he would have spilled information that would doomed him to have guards by his side at every moment of every day. He could not stomach the suffocating thought.

Takashi turned to his uncle, words ready on the tip of his tongue.

Uncle Rudolph beat him to it. “This is about the Tournament of the Hand, is it not?”

Closing his mouth, Takashi nodded. “Yes. How did you--”

“Eito told me. I have to say, I agree. Having the Crown Prince over the Knight Prince host the Tournament would be splendid. It would bring visitors and suitors from all around. Not all of the competitors will be noble, you must know this, Takashi,” Uncle Rudolph said, looking at him seriously.

“Yes, of course. I am aware of that. I think the Tournament would work better for me. All the suitors and … none of them have clicked. Perhaps the Tournament will give me time to understand and see their capabilities,” Takashi confessed.

“A peasant could win,” Uncle Rudolph said slowly. “A non-noble.”

“I am aware of this…” Takashi couldn’t help picturing Lance. “That is a risk I'm willing to take, and ifa peasant does win, that means they are capable. Noble blood or not. They would be able to pass on the Shirogane name.”

Uncle Rudolph pursed his lips, but nodded acceptingly. “It is your choice after all.”

Takashi let out a breath of relief. “Thank you! Should we get the messengers to spread the news then?”

Uncle Rudolph’s eyes narrowed for a brief second, and he hoped that he had not given away his knowledge, but then his uncle’s expression softened.

“Yes. I will get the notice written up and sent.”

Takashi couldn’t hold back the smile that broke across his face. “Thank you! Oh! Thank you, Uncle!” Takashi grabbed and squeezed Uncle Rudolph’s hand.

Uncle Rudolph’s face tensed. “Er, you’re welcome, Takashi.”

Pushing back his chair, Takashi got to his feet. “I will stop taking up your time.” Already halfway out of the dining room, Takashi threw a “Good day, Uncle!” over his shoulder. Takashi was practically bursting with excitement. He did not have to deal with any more suitors. _Thank the Ancients._

The Crown Prince all but skipped happily down the halls. Never would he admit to imagining Lance at the Tournament, let alone to picturing the traveller winning. It was ridiculous. After all, one could not be in love from one meeting.

  
  


~

Avoiding the training field, Takashi worked his way through the halls to the exit nearest the town. That happened to be one of the furthest from the training field.

Sir Te’Osh gave him an amused look, when he grinned at her and waved as he passed.

“I am guarding your room tonight, Your Highness,” Sir Te’Osh commented lowly.

Takashi couldn’t stop his grin from widening. It was always a good night when Sir Te’Osh was playing his personal guard. She knew that he was training on his own, she helped him with his form on the rare occasion. More often than not she was outside the door, pretending to be oblivious. The knight merely rolled her eyes.

“Be careful,” Sir Te’Osh warned.

“I always am.”

“Mmmmhmmm.”

Takashi waved again before scurrying across the courtyard quickly. Pausing on the edge of town, Takashi glanced up at the windows of the castle. In the window Takashi knew was his father’s bedroom, a dark shape moved. Worry washed over him, dampening the excitement from earlier. Why would the physician be visiting his father?

It had to be the Court Physician, there was no one else who could be visiting King Eito. Uncle Rudolph was in meetings, none of the servants were allowed in, and Keith was on the training field. Worry threatened to choke Shiro, but he shook his head.

There was no reason to worry. The Court Physician was probably just checking on the king’s health. It would be the same report as always. King Eito’s illness was passing and all he needed was to take a certain tonic and rest.

That’s what the physician has said for the last five years now.

Takashi shook his head again and continued on his original plan. To visit the smithy and more specifically one of the blacksmiths, Shay.

  
  
~

With his hood down, the townspeople moved out of Takashi’s way without being asked. Takashi wished that he could wear his hood up without it being suspicious, but they were just being respectful. He was their prince after all, it would be rude to bump into--

Takashi walked right into what felt to be an equivalent of a wooden board. Not expecting to run into anyone, Takashi stumbled backwards. A familiar chuckle met his ears, making Takashi raise his dark gray eyes up from studying the cobblestone street.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Lance teased, his blue eyes glittering in the daylight. Takashi’s breath caught. Lance tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. “Shiro?”

Takashi shook himself, a smile spreading across his face. “I was actually just thinking about you.”

A flush rose in Lance’s cheeks. “I… uh…”

“Cat got your tongue?” Takashi teased, flashing a smile.

Lance rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “I just was not expecting that.”

Takashi shrugged half-heartedly. “That is fair. I, personally, find it hard not to think about someone so eye catching.”

Lance spluttered. “You cannot just say that!”

“Oh, I can’t?”

“No!” Lance exclaimed, his cheeks darkly flushed.

He grinned brightly, enjoying Lance’s flustered state. Despite not knowing him well, he was certain this was not a state he was in often.

“Want a personal escort?” Takashi asked, graciously changing the topic.

“One would not hurt,” Lance agreed, offering his hand.

Bowing, Takashi brushed his lips over Lance’s knuckles before straightening up and linking their arms together. Lance didn’t speak for several minutes, blush still vibrant on his cheeks.

Takashi lead him through the marketplace, pointing out different stalls and making small comments. He enjoyed each of Lance’s reactions. The prince was well aware that with each stall they passed, he was feeding the rumor mill, word would spread quickly. Before nightfall, Takashi bet all of the town would know that the Crown Prince had spent the day with a traveller.

It was a good thing his uncle did not care for rumors or gossip.

  
  
~

After Lance found what he had been looking for in the marketplace, the two had found themselves in the square near one of the pubs. Upon Takashi’s refusal to go in, Lance led him to the square where there was music being played. Closing his eyes, he let the music flow over him.

The townspeople danced so differently from what he learned. More free, not so stiff and restrictive.

Lance pulled him into the square where the others were dancing. Takashi realized he had never been in the town when the people did things like this, let alone actually take part in it. Takashi let out a startled gasp as Lance pulled him into a spin. Stumbling to keep up with the fast paced music, Takashi barely kept up with Lance who was perfectly in time with the music, and grinning so bright at him all the while.

Finding himself not caring about who was watching him or if he was messing up, Takashi fell into the music. Fell into step with Lance.

Takashi spun across the dance floor, led by Lance’s hand. Too breathless to try to hum along to the music. Too breathless to voice how he felt.

So light. So… free.

Takashi’s face hurt from how wide his smile was as he was passed stretched out of the spin and immediately pulled back in.

He didn’t notice the change in the music. Did not even realize it had stopped until Lance wrapped his arms around him and dropped him into a dip; Laughing all the while. 

Breath catching in his throat as Lance smiled so, so softly down at him. Takashi gulped, meeting Lance’s startled eyes; breaking the timeless moment.

Carefully, Lance stood him up. Lance’s hands lingered, as if he did not want to let go of Shiro either.

Takashi swallowed again. “I--” He saw Sir Sablan looked at him expectantly from the edge of the square. Heart heavy, Takashi sighed. “I have to go.”

Lance frowned for a moment, but nodded. His voice hopeful as he asked, “ Will I see you later then?”

Takashi flicked his eyes to the elder knight and back to Lance, then he whispered. “Count on it.”

A grin spread across Lance’s face, his eyes glittering. Squeezing their joined hands once more, Takashi let go.

Head high, Takashi walked towards Sir Sablan.

“Your Highness, you know you should not be out and about without an escort.”

“I know. But everyone was busy, and I did not want to be a bother. There is no reason to worry, I was perfectly safe.” Takashi assured.

Sir Sablan looked like he wanted to argue, but he just pursed his lips instead and followed closely as Takashi walked away.

  
  
~

Sir Sablan took his leave after Takashi had made it into the castle, but not before he gave the prince a warning look.

Deciding against testing his luck before that evening, Takashi strolled up the steps to his tower. As he daydreamed, Takashi absentmindedly hummed the song he and Lance had danced to.

Lance hands holding onto him, leading him around the square to the music. Lance spinning him around, both of them laughing. Lance dipping him at the end of the song. Lance ki--

“Crown Prince,” a cold voice interrupted his pleasant thoughts.

Startled, Takashi stumbled over the last step. Cold hands grabbed ahold of his arm, roughly stopping his descent. Takashi shuddered under Lord Jacobus’ hands.

Attempting to pull away, Takashi set his fingernails into the lord’s hand. Lord Jacobus glared coldly at him.

“Yes, Lord Jacobus?” Takashi asked coolly.

“I thought we would spend the day together.” Lord Jacobus’ nose twitched irritatedly.

“I think not.”

Lord Jacobus stiffened, his hands tightening on Takashi’s arms. “What?”

“I had previously made plans with my brother.” Takashi said simply, giving the lord a bland look.

“Oh, yes, how could I forget, you ‘love’ your brother so much,” Lord Jacobus spat.

Twisting his arm roughly out of Lord Jacobus’ grip, Takashi leaned closer and said with venom in his voice, “That is more than what I can say about you.”

“I - you - I’ll -” Lord Jacobus spluttered as Takashi stormed away with his head held high and jaw clenched tightly.

  
  


~

Slamming his door open, Takashi huffed and ungracefully threw himself onto his bed. He had come _so_ close to punching that lord. The joy from telling him off had faded away by the time he had reached his room.

The lecture he was in for would no doubt be painful. Frustration biting at the back of his throat, Takashi rolled over. Just thinking about the lecture made Takashi wish he had gone through with the vision of breaking the lord’s nose.

Just because he was not allowed to train with the knights does not mean a well behaved lad like himself had obeyed orders.

“When was the last time I actually practiced...” he voiced aloud. When had been the last time he practiced since the trips in the town went from every other night became every night he hadn’t really had the extra energy and the days with the suitors visiting picking up as well. Takashi could not say for sure when the last time he remembered practicing, on his own or otherwise.

“Eh?” came a response.

Takashi yelped as he leapt off of his bed. Spinning to face the speaker, Takashi relaxed seeing his brother.

“What were you talking about?” Keith made himself comfortable on the other side of the bed.

Takashi sighed and shrugged, returning to where he had been sitting. “I do not remember when the last time I had practiced is all. My days and nights have been taken up by so much else.” Takashi frowned at his hand, clenching a fist and unclenching. “I need to pick it back up.”

“Huh, it has been a while,” Keith muttered just loud enough to hear.

“Mhmm, I cannot slack off or you might get better then me,” Takashi joked, staring down his brother.

Keith gave him a dirty look, but nodded. “You better prepare to get your ass kicked.”

“Right now?” Takashi shot back as he got up off the bed.

A grin spread across Keith’s face as he responded nonchalantly, “I suppose.”

  
~

There was a sharp whistle and Takashi snapped around, his cloak fanning out around him. The tension that had caught him released just as fast as he saw Lance.

Lance looked Takashi up and down, and whistled appreciatively. Takashi felt heat creep up his neck.

“You look absolutely ravishing,” Lance purred with a wink.

“Have you used a mirror recently?”

“I have actually. How else would I get my hair to be such perfection?”

Takashi raised his eyebrows doubtfully. Lance’s hair looked like the man had rolled out of bed and then tried, but ultimately failed, at brushing it. Lance just smirked and raised his eyebrows in challenge.

“I think you may need help with it,” Takashi commented offhandedly. Stepping closer to the other man, the prince smiled amusedly as he reached up and ran his fingers through the tousled hair, pushing the top back. Lance stared at Takashi’s hand, his eyes going cross-eyed.

“Maybe so,” Lance squeaked. “Would you be available?”

“I--” Takashi cut himself off, looking behind Lance.

There was light clanging sounds coming from the street.

“Ugh,” came an annoyed groan, “we were already here, James. Can we go elsewhere?”

Sir James scoffed. “No. We have to keep our patrol loop.”

Takashi froze, his brain scrambling. Lance grabbed his hand and pulled, startling him i out of his stupor.

Lance pulled Takashi further down the alleyway, only releasing his hand near a small shed off the side of a house.

Lance ran forward, he leaped onto a hay wagon and then up, onto the top of the shed. From the shed roof, Lance jumped straight up and caught the edge of the house’s roof. Muscles barely even straining, he pulled himself up and in a blink, Lance disappeared onto the top of the roof.

“Are you coming?” Lance called, his head popping back into sight. Takashi stared at him.

“No.” He gulped. “No way.”

“Oh, come on. Be adventurous~” Lance teased, smirking down at the prince.

Takashi just shook his head. “No way.”

“Do you want to get caught?”

Takashi hesitated, glancing down the alleyway towards where they had seen the knights. Takashi looked at Lance, declaring, “This is so stupid.”

Lance just grinned.

Takashi clambered up onto the wagon, then onto the shed roof. Tilting his head back to see the roof’s edge, he swallowed thickly. Suddenly the roof seemed further away than before.

Lance stared down expectantly at him. “Are you coming?”

“There is no way I’m going to get up there.”

“Look, just jump and I’ll grab your hand and pull you up.”

“This is not going to work,” Takashi said.

Lance huffed. “Trust me on this, okay?”

Takashi pursed his lips. “It is really high, I do not--”

“Shiro,” Lance interrupted. “the knights will be here soon and they will see you standing there. You either do what I did, or find a different way to hide right now.”

Takashi bit the inside of his cheek. “This is dumb.”

Then he backed up, ran forward, and jumped. Stretching his arms above his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Hands gripped his arm tightly as he swung gently bumping into the side of the house.

Grunting, Lance pulled. Takashi scrambled to try to help climb over the side.

Laughing breathlessly, Lance spun his body back around to peer over the edge of the roof. Takashi crawled on his hands and knees to join Lance.

Sir James and Sir Nadia stood at the end of the alleyway, looking around. Takashi wasn’t sure what their expressions were from the distance. Sir Nadia appeared to shake her head and continue walking, Sir James pausing for a moment longer before following.

Takashi couldn’t help the giggle that slipped past his lips.

Rolling over, Takashi looked at Lance. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

Lance chuckled. “You will get used to it, being around me.”

“That’s not as comforting as you may think it is,” Takashi said seriously.

Lance propped his head on his hands, looking up at the night sky. “I never said it was supposed to be comforting, it is just a fact.”

“Ah,” Takashi murmured, turning his head to study the stars. “Is that so?”

Lance hummed in agreement.

A comfortable silence wrapped around them, Takashi relaxed as he sighed softly.

“What?” Lance turned his head towards the prince.

“Thank you,” Takashi said.

Lance didn’t ask what for, just settled back down.

Takashi didn’t know when he fell asleep, only remembers waking up briefly in his own bed, and not having a moment to question how he got there before sleep claimed him again.

~~

“I do believe that is all there is. If you have any questions, you can come to me at any time,” Shay said. The blacksmith’s front was completely covered with indescribable kind of grime that came from working in a smithy. Hunk knew some of what was probably on her shirt front from experience. Hunk winced with sympathy, there only seemed to be four — counting him — working here, and there was more than enough customers. Forging was not an easy job, especially not getting them to standards.

Hunk wondered if he could convince Lance and Pidge to stick around a few weeks so he could help out here. Plus, the money was decent. Maybe he could convince the smithy owner to let him work on some of his personal projects.

“I will remember that,” Hunk promised. “Perhaps you should go take your break, I’ll just be here organizing my spot.”

Shay smiled. “You seem more than competent at blacksmithing. I will get the current unclaimed projects.”

Hunk beamed at her as she disappeared to unearth the projects the smithy was working on.

It didn’t take her long to reappear, carrying a decent sized stack of parchment. Hunk couldn’t help but compare it to some of the requests from the Blade he got.

Shay settled down across from him. Soon Hunk was humming a low tune as he flipped through the stack. _It is actually very handy to have a job here, I could get plenty of information about this town. Good information for Gossip Day_ , Hunk thought.

He could feel Shay’s slowly closing eyes watch him as she stifled a yawn.

Hunk jerked at the sound of the front door slamming open. Looking at the newcomer, a man whose strands of long black hair were woven together.

“Shay?” he called out.

At the sound of her name, Shay perked right up. Her dark eyes were bright with excitement as she turned around, beaming at the new person.

There was something familiar about him that Hunk couldn’t quite pin down. Hunk tried to keep his eyes on his work, but it felt like every time he was looking at the papers he was already looking at the man again.

“Keith!” Shay greeted, hugging the man tightly. “It has been a while!”

_Keith… Keith… where have I heard that before?_

Keith nodded. “It has. You would not believe the day I’ve had.” Peering past her further into the smithy, he inquired, “You are finally on your break, I take it?” Then in a lower voice, he asked, “Is that… you know what I asked for done? If not, it is fine.”

“Yes actually! I finished it just today. The new blacksmith I hired -- he’s just looking over the requests -- helped me engrave it! Why are you asking? Is it Shiro?” Shay asked, leaning on the wall. Well, it was more of a slump. The more Hunk looked at the stack, the more he sympathized with her.

“It is Shiro. He had another horrible suitor today. Although,” Keith drawled, “he did come back from town rather happy. Maybe he does not need the dagger, but I am sure he would enjoy them anyway.”

Shay ran a hand through her short dark brown hair with golden highlights. “What kind of horrible suitor? Prissy or clotpole?”

“Clotpole. Such a clotpole. He tried to pull moves on my brother. I may or may not have gotten my knights involved,” Keith admitted innocently.

Hunk stared at the bowl in front of him. _His knights? Wait… Keith… knights… NO WAY._

“Did you beat him up?” Shay asked, amusement clear in her voice.

Hunk glanced up, meeting the Knight Prince’s eyes. Violet-blue eyes smirked at him.

“Maybe,” Keith said, his tone almost smug enough to knock someone flat-- well, Hunk supposed he did knock someone around, anyhow, not his business.

“Maybe, really meaning yes? Did you do it more than once?”

Hunk jerked his head back down, he could feel the shock on his face. _That is the Knight Prince?! He is nothing like I imagined._

“I may have shown him how I usually train with the knights,” Keith said slowly. “And potentially scarred him emotionally and mentally from it.”

“Sounds like…” Shay trailed off, not daring to finish the sentence.

“A prissy wimp,” Keith stated. “That is what he is. Undoubtedly.”

Hunk snickered at the description. Feeling eyes on him, Hunk shut up and forced his focus on the stack of parchment again. The blacksmith smoothed out his expression. At least that was one thing he picked up from the Blade.


	3. Take My Hand

It was a day after he had met the Crown Prince Takashi as Shiro, his preferred name, and Lance could admit that he was terribly curious about this prince. There was something different about him… well, other than his regular jaunts into town to feed the old and the poor every night with his brother.

Lance kicked his feet back and forth, hitting the wall of the house he perched himself on top of. Humming a tune, Lance kept an eye out for Shiro.

Every night Shiro passed the spot Lance had chosen to sit. Shiro was one of the few nobles to care about his kingdom, something Lance could respect. He knew Shiro was kept out of the important meetings and this was how he was able to help.

Knowing there was more than meets the eye when it came to the Crown Prince, Lance knew he had to learn more about him. Even if it meant adjusting his schedule.

Familiar footsteps made their way closer. Lance reclined back on the roof to study the stars. The footsteps kept their pace as Lance sat up.

Whistling sharply as Shiro turned the corner. The Crown Prince jerked to a halt, his head snapping upwards. Lance waved at him from his perch.

“How did you get up there?” Shiro asked as he gaped at Lance.

“Oh, all I did was a hop, skip, and jump,” Lance drawled. Leaning forward, the man peered down at Shiro. “Wanna join me?”

Shiro glanced around, clearly looking for something, but then he shrugged as he looked back at Lance. “How would I even get up there?”

Lance just grinned and pointed towards a nearby ladder that had been left out after its last use. Presumably used by someone to fix their roof.

In the low light, Lance was only partially sure that Shiro was blushing as he moved the ladder into position. Lance scooched over to the top of the ladder to hold it in place.

Mere seconds later, Shiro was sitting next to Lance and still a little breathless from his quick climb.

“Gorgeous,” Lance murmured, glancing at Shiro out of the corner of his eye.

Shiro’s dark gray eyes shined, while he gazed upward. “Mmmhhmmmm.”

Realizing what he said, Lance jerked his eyes back to the stars again. Lance scratched the back of his neck as he picked out familiar constellations. Internally, Lance scolded himself for overreacting, Shiro was obviously a very attractive man. It did not mean anything to notice his looks in a different lighting.

“Are you familiar with constellations?”

“One of the few things I am familiar with,” Shiro admitted.

Lance tilted his head, watching the prince’s expression. It was so… open and honest. He couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What is your favorite constellation?”

Shiro bit his lip. “That is a hard choice. They are all interesting in their own ways. All of them have different meanings.”

“That is a good point. I, personally, like the Ursa Major. The great bear,” Lance said as he focused closely on the night sky.

“The Ursa Major is a good one,” Shiro murmured.

Lance grinned at him as he flopped back to look at the stars easier. “I knew you had good taste!” Shiro returned his grin before looking back up. “Ya know… it would be more comfortable to lay down and look.”

“Hmmm?” Shiro blinked slowly. “oh, yes, your right.”

Shiro settled himself down next to Lance, a comfortable silence encasing them.

Lance soon found himself struggling to keep his eyes open. Turning his head to the side to address Shiro, the words died on his lips at the sight.

Shiro snuffled softly, his closed eyelids twitching.

The traveller could not help the small smile that crossed his face.

  
~

Lance settled Shiro into his bed, and he did not have the heart to wake the prince.

As Lance finished tucking him in, he brushed a stray hair away from the Crown Prince’s face. Lance straightened up, studying the man.

A shifting, grinding sound of rocks followed by a soft “Shiro?” and Lance was gone. He swung out the window with practiced ease.

He left an astonished Knight Prince in his dust.

  
~

Lance watched the Knight Prince shuffle uncomfortably in the middle of his group of knights.

One of the knights cleared her throat -- she had short light brown hair just covering her pointed ears, her dark eyes glinted in the morning light -- and spoke, “Your swordsmanship is incredible. That disarming move was amazing.”

Lance couldn’t help but snort. He’d seen it too. It could use some work. “That’s what they all say.”

Prince Keith’s head snapped up, followed by the knights’. All of them trying to find what the prince was looking at while he narrowed his eyes at Lance. _There’s no way that he had heard him from all the way over there._

The prince’s violet blue eyes were familiar, but Lance knew he’d never met him before. Or even spied on Prince Keith, Lance would have recognized that surprisingly greasy looking hair anywhere.

“Do you want to say that to my face?” Prince Keith asked. Looking directly at Lance.

He glanced around and found no one behind him, Lance pointed at himself. “Who, me?” 

“Yes, _you_.”

“Well,” Lance drawled as he walked over from where he had been leaning against the wall. “I most certainly would say it to your face, but it all depends on whether you want to hear the truth or not.”

Prince Keith clenched his jaw in an eerily familiar way. Lance raised his eyebrow, smirking.

“What is your deal?”

“My deal, as you put it, is that your form is terrible. Your disarming move is sloppy. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Racking his brain for where he had seen those violet blue eyes before, Lance stood watching the prince’s face as it screwed up in an angry expression.

_Why does he look so much like--_

“What would _you_ know?”

Lance laughed lightly. He could not pin down the answer. _Stupid princes looking familiar._ “What would I know? I have been travelling for years; I have seen many knights and simple men fighting with swords, enough to know a shoddy, sloppy move when I see it.”

“Oh, and you can do better?” Prince Keith challenged.

Lance clucked his tongue. “You betcha.”

“Prove it.” The knight prince’s eyes glinted dangerously. Daring Lance to back down.

As if.

Turning to the brown-haired knight from before, Lance asked politely, “Could I borrow your sword, Sir?”

She blinked owlishly. Clearly not expecting this turn of events. “I… I suppose?”

Unsheathing her sword, she offered him the worn leather handle.

As he grasped it, he thanked the knight.

“Are we doing this or not?” Lance asked, adjusting his twin grip on the handle. More than aware of all the eyes settling on the scene. A crowd was slowly forming as Prince Keith unsheathed his own broadsword.

“Your Highness, I don’t think--” started a different knight as he made a move to step between them.

“Sir James,” Prince Keith said, cutting off the worried knight.

“I want to see where this goes,” said another knight with a wide grin. She had black hair, brown eyes and appeared to genuinely want to see them fight.

“Sir Ryan,” Sir James said, turning to his right, pleading. Before he could continue, Prince Keith leap forward.

Blocking the prince’s attack without blinking, Lance smirked. “Is that the best you got?”

Prince Keith’s jaw clenched as he pressed forward with more of his weight onto their joined blades.

They split apart, each backing away equal distance. Prince Keith twirled the blade in his hand, earning a harsh snort from Lance.

Lance darted forward and brought his sword down on Prince Keith. Keith blocked Lance’s attacked, easily. The Knight Prince shoved at Lance. He sent the commoner stumbling backward.

Sliding to a stop, Lance braced himself. Lance gritted his teeth as he blocked Prince Keith’s next attack.

Prince Keith slid their blades together in a practiced move, and Lance knew what was happening before it happened. As the blade was twisted out of his hands in the prince’s signature move, Lance was darting backwards, having no other choice than to drop his sword Prince Keith smirked at Lance. “I wi--”

Lance threw himself into a slide. He carefully avoided Prince Keith’s sword as he took the prince’s legs out from underneath him.

The Knight Prince left out a shocked gasp as he hit the ground hard.

Extracting his arm from underneath the Prince, Lance flipped over. He dug his knee into the prince’s back and grabbed ahold of his hands, making sure that he could not get away easily.

“I win,” Lance stated.

“With dirty tricks,” Keith spat, turning his head to glare at Lance the best he could in the uncomfortable position.

Lance laughed mockingly. “Life? Fair? Hardly. You should figure that out before your fighting gets you killed.” He could feel the heavy, shocked stares of the knights boring into him. “That is why she--” Lance nodded at the knight whose sword he had borrowed --”is better than you are. Her fighting shows that she has fought for her life before. She, unlike you, knows the stakes in such a fight.”

Keith’s jaw was clenched hard enough that Lance was almost concerned.

“What in Corona is going on?!” came a harsh yell from behind them.

In a blink, Lance was on his feet. He snatched up the knight’s sword, crossed the distance between them and offered the sword back and thanking her.

Looking at the newcomers over his shoulder, Lance saw an older knight walking alongside Shiro. Shiro was brushing the dirt off of his younger brother. Clearly feeling Lance’s eyes on him, the Crown Prince looked up at him, his expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“It was merely a friendly sparring match,” Lance said, answering the elder knight’s question.

“Is this true?” he asked the Knight Prince.

Prince Keith, although obviously fuming, nodded acquiescence.

Flashing another smile at the lady knight, Lance tried to brush past Shiro. His eyes flicked to Shiro’s dark gray eyes, than on to Shiro’s hand where it caught him. Shiro’s curious gaze asked more questions than he could answer. In lieu of answering, Lance patted Shiro’s shoulder and sent him a wry smile. Then he disappeared into the surrounding crowd.

  
  
~

Lance stretched, feeling his back pop. He groaned and gave the book Allura had gotten from Coran, for him to study, a dirty look.

“Stupid faery languages,” Lance muttered. It was a little embarrassing to get stuck over one stupid word for what felt like hours. Especially since he had been studying the dead language for the past three years. Allura had advised him to take up learning Altean for… reasons. Lance forgot what she had said exactly.

A tap on the windowpane caught Lance’s attention.

A white dove with a black mark in the middle of its forehead.

“Well hello there, Antok,” Lance greeted, waving his fingers at the dove.

Antok hopped up and down than fluttered out of the window towards the roof. _Meeting time than_ , Lance thought. _At least it won’t raise too much suspicion because someone saw me crawling on a roof in the dark._

Heaving himself onto the roof of the inn with little difficulty after all of the years practicing, Lance immediately covered his eyes as soon as his hands were free. Why did shapeshifters have no shame of nakedness?

Antok sat in his humanoid form rolling what looked to be a small gray tube.

“You did not wait for me to take off the anklet first?” Lance teased, scooching himself around so he could keep himself from staring at the giant Galra. Antok was big even for Galra standards. If Lance had to bet, Antok was probably 11 if not 12 feet tall. Just sitting next to him, Lance felt like he was a kid again next to his father.

Antok was part the Blade. Lance was not sure exactly when Antok had became part of the small rebellion against the Dark Kingdom, but he did know that Antok was one of the first few to join Kolivan’s -- and therefore Allura’s -- side. Before Allura had found him, Lance had never thought that there was anyone truly fighting against the overwhelming strength of King Zarkon. The true weight of it was intimidating, to say the least.

Lance was not sure where he would be without Hunk, Pidge, and Allura. Although, if he thought about it he would probably have been dead.

“I can take it off just fine myself,” Antok said. His familiar rough voice soothing the anxious feeling in Lance’s chest.

“That’s not what happened last time,” Lance said, smirking. Even without looking at Antok he knew the Galra was rolling his eyes. Out of the two of them, Lance was probably the one who was the most uncomfortable. That is not even counting Pidge or Hunk.

“Leader wanted me to give this to you.” Peering over his shoulder at Antok who held out a small tube to Lance.

“Are you certain you are not a carrier pigeon?”

Antok scowled at the comment.

Grinning at the Blade, Lance pulled the parchment from the tube. Lance skimmed over the drawing. It was for Hunk, not him.

“So, not a carrier pigeon, than what are you?” Lance asked, rerolling the letter.

“A dove, clearly.”

Lance childishly stuck his tongue out. “You are supposed to be telling me about some mission, are you not?”

Antok nodded.

  
  
~

Lance waltzed across at the top of the rooftop after Antok shifted back and disappeared into the night. Recalling the information the elder Blade had told him, he noted that would have to adjust his plans accordingly.

Lance whistled when he realized he’d been a part of the Blade for three years and counting. He stopped at the edge of the roof, taking in the mass amount of clustered housing.

The young Blade made a snap decision. Leaping from the inn’s roof to the neighboring one. Lance continued across the rooftops until he heard footsteps that he recognized immediately.

Lance had quickly found a rhythm with Shiro after they had properly met. He spent his days doing a mix of work and spending time with the Crown Prince. Then the nights were spent following both Prince Keith and Shiro around.

Lance had lost count of how many times he had seen Shiro slip back into the castle. Personally, Lance thought it was ridiculously easy to get in and out of Corona’s castle.

Following the sound of the soft footfalls, Lance peeked over the edge of the roof. He smiled as Shiro carefully made his way down the alleyway. Grabbing the edge of the roof, Lance silently slipped down to the ground. Not to spook Shiro, Lance made sure his approach would be heard.

“What you doing out here at this time of night, pretty boy?” Lance asked. Shiro jumped and Lance realized that maybe he _hadn’t_ been as loud as he thought.

“Oh, just enjoying a moonlight stroll?”

Lance hummed, tilting his head. “I didn’t take you for moonlight walker.”

Lance really didn’t, Shiro seemed more of a… reader and a warrior. Using training or a good book to wind down. Well, maybe not the training. There hadn’t been more than that one time that he’s seen Shiro train. That particular time Shiro and Keith had been using Shiro’s room for training.

“Not normally.”

Lance squinted, grumbling internally to himself about the _goddamn_ lighting. He couldn’t see Shiro’s expression.

“Oh?”

Shiro smiled. “Yes. Would you care to join me?”

Lance grinned. “I would love to.”

Shiro offered his arm, Lance slipped his through. Leaning against the taller man, Lance smiled.

Something about Shiro put Lance at ease, like he didn’t need a facade around him. He had similar feelings around his close friends too, but he had known them for years by now. The comfort he felt was strangely instantaneous after meeting and speaking to Shiro. The only other time Lance had felt such a connection was with Hunk, but Hunk had saved him. In more than one way.

“What are you doing out this late?”

Lance swore internally. He hadn’t planned an answer to that question.

So he shrugged. “No particular reason, I just felt like being outside.”

“Ah.”

They fell into a comfortable silence. Lance knew all they did was walk in circles through the town, in silence nonetheless, but he enjoyed it.

  
  
~

With his orders, Lance decided he was going to sneak into the castle again. After Shiro headed back. And hey, _maybe_ he could see Shiro for himself, if he had the time. But collecting information for his bosses came first.

Hopefully if Shiro ever found out, he would not take Lance doing his job -- _spying_ \-- to personally. Lance had not wormed any information out of the prince, not that there was any to retrieve. After all, the spy was good at his job, one of the best, if Lance said so himself despite the lack of years in the field.

Lance slipped through the halls, keeping his head low. He passed himself off as a servant while he pretended to be tending to some dust outside of the King’s office, which now belonged to the King’s Regent. Hopefully, where they kept all the good stuff.

Already that day, he had spent an entire hour documenting a Council meeting with Shiro in the official meeting room, and then even longer once the _Crown Prince_ left. He watched Rudolph as he exited his personal office, locking it before he left.

He released a soft exhale as the Regent disappeared out of sight. Lance pulled out his handy dandy lockpick kit. Within moments the lock clicked open.

Lance glanced around quickly before slipping through the door.

He began rifling through drawers and parchments.

Lance frowned as he shuffled through another drawer in the king’s brother’s office. The King Regent Rudolph office was clean and his drawers were barren of anything other than the usual statistics. Lance had to admit, there was something off about him. That man gave him the creeps.

Lance bit his lip, looking at another sheet of parchment with statistics that he knew Shiro had never seen. It was more than a little concerning that the Regent was keeping the Princes out of the meeting about the wars. Both the war Corona was having with the kingdom Artemisia _and_ the ongoing war that was creeping towards their land. King Zarkon and the _Dark Kingdom_ would be here sooner than later. It would make more sense to have them included, they were the future of Corona after all. Yet...

Shaking his head, Lance hurried through the drawer.

“Nothing,” Lance muttered as he dug through the next drawer and the one after that. “Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.”

Tugging on another, Lance let out a small yelp at the jerk it gave his arm. A grin spread across Lance’s face as he pulled his lock picks back out. It was actually locked.

None of the others were.

Lance took his time, twisting the slim metal tools with nimble fingers. 

Finally pulling open the final and only locked drawer — one with a trick lock that would reset itself at the wrong turn — to find it filled with _blank_ pages. Lance squinted at the pages.

_What the quiznack? You do not lock up_ blank _pages._

Lance hummed lowly, picking up one of the pages carefully. Lifting it to the sun, the light streaming through and Lance could _almost see_ a —

With a gasp, Lance dropped the parchment. The door rattled, hearing the clink of a key entering its chamber, Lance scrambled out of sight. Lance barely remembered to lock the drawer again.

There was a thud as the door swung open to hit the wall.

Lance tried to keep silent, watching silently as Rudolph moved around. From his hiding spot, he could see Rudolph open a drawer — _the one he had_ just _closed_ — and pulled out a page of parchment. Closing and locking the drawer again, Rudolph wrote on the page.

Lance chest hitched, when Rudolph turned around. His foot inches from Lance’s face. Inches from the parchment Lance dropped. 

_If he steps on it..._

Rudolph narrowly missed the parchment as he sped past to the door. 

Lance let out the breathe he was holding. Scrambling to his feet, Lance snatched up the parchment and shoved it down the front of his tunic. He had other things to do then _possibly getting caught and thrown into the dungeon_.

The doorknob rattled again, Rudoulph cursed on the other side.

_He must’ve forgotten something!_

Lance looked between his previous hiding spot and the open window. If he was caught he would for sure die, he might live from falling out the window. Peering out of the window, Lance revised his statement. Either be caught and potentially forced to tell things he most certainly did not want to, and eventually die or an almost instant death.

“No, Pidge, I am not a reckless harecop,” Lance murmured as he backed up.

Lance ran forward and dove out of the window just as he heard Rudolph’s cursing again. He felt himself go weightless. Breathless as the wind whipped by him.

Then it felt like the world slowed down. 

Drifting down to the ground, Lance felt disembodied. He could see more than normal, there was Hunk’s smithy, and the inn where they stayed. The mountains to the far left, the castle just behind him, it was—

Then suddenly everything was back in focus. He was laying on the ground. Automatically Lance curled into a ball, when nausea threatened to bring his lunch back up. His heart pounded into his consciousness.

_What the_ **_quiznack_ ** _?!_

Swallowing thickly, Lance forced himself onto his feet and walked unsteadily forward. He hadn’t even felt himself hit the ground. Lance was forced to take breaks and catch his breath, blinking away dark spots in his vision.

It was eerily like when he had just started using his powers, even a little would take a lot out of him.

Lance found an empty alleyway to sit. Resting his head on his knees, Lance wrapped his arms around them and shuddering, tried to practicing his breathing exercises. _Are there more applications of my Alchemy then what I originally thought there were? There has to be. I should be dead otherwise._

Alas, he was still in one piece and everything — he was pretty sure it was everything at least — was where it was supposed to be. _This_ was going to make for an interesting discussion.

Lance forced the fog from his mind once again, slowly making his way home. He didn’t even reply to Hunk’s questions before he collapsed on their bed. Exhaustion pulling him under.

Dimly he realized he had to report to the Leaders; and there was a mission the next day that he had to be part of.

Groaning lowly, he shoved his face further into the bed. Half hoping to suffocate.

~

“What were you thinking?!” Allura snapped out. “By publicly fighting with Prince Keith you put your position, your cover, in danger!”

The spy just pursed his lips. “I did not.”

Alura looked unimpressed.

“He was the one that challenged me, ‘Lura. And it would have made me seem suspicious to back away when the prince had already noticed me. Now though, I am a retired, experienced fighter not just a passerby who could be easy pickings,” Lance explained.

Allura sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. “That is not a good excuse.”

“Allura, there is no way that Prince Keith is fully human. He should not have heard what I said. Not only was I more than halfway across the market from him, but it was busy too.”

The Celestial Alchemist blinked slowly. “You must be kidding me.”

“I am not,” he said dryly. “I have more too.”

The spy held up a blank piece of parchment.

“Am I supposed to be amazed?”

He smiled. “We will make a smartass out of you yet!” Then the humour left his face. “Why would you lock up blank parchment?”

Allura met his bright eyes. “Lock up you say?” There was a nod. She mused aloud, “How interesting.”

“That is what I thought as well.” Lance waved the parchment. “I would have grabbed more than one sheet, but the King Regent decided to make a show.” Lance gnawed on his lip. “When I left…” he trailed off.

“When you left?” Allura prompted and watched his expression carefully.

“I had to take the… uh, how do I put this… the fast exit?” Lance’s face had paled.

“Fast exit?” Allura sniped, she wasn’t liking where this was going.

Lance refused to meet her eyes. “The window.” 

Allura inhaled deeply, steadying herself so she would not bite off his head. She said coldly, “What happened?” she asked tersely.

“As you can tell, I am not dead.”

She revised biting off his head in favor of wringing his neck.

Allura noted his shaky hand as he tugged it through his barely ruffled hair — the only tell that he was freaked by what had happened.

He was breathless as he continued, a tremor underlying his words, “I turned into… mist? or something? I guess. I am not sure. It was a very strange sensation. I do not know how to describe it…”

Allura pursed her lips, repressing a tired sigh. This was concerning, but… it also opened up more options. Nodding decisively, Allura said, “We will have to train this new ability then.”

Lance met her eyes for a moment before nodding.


	4. I Don't Want To Sleep, I Just Want To Keep On Loving You

“Oh come on!” Keith said, rolling his eyes. “You can’t win every, or even many, fights by running and relying on your absurd amount of stamina.”

“Well, its worked against you so far,” Takashi reasoned from his current standpoint in Keith’s room. Before his brother had agreed to teach him the basics of sword fighting so long ago; Takashi had never been inside his room. Keith had always taken either the stairs or the secret passageway to Takashi’s room instead. 

The setup was vastly different. In comparison to his four poster bed and royal purple sheets whereas Keith had a vivid red and black set. One bookshelf to Takashi’s three. Most of the space was being taken up by weapons; Keith’s room was like a second, smaller armory. The writing desk was on the opposite side of the room. The biggest difference was that Keith had his bed tucked away into the corner, while Takashi had his more centered with the headboard pressed against the wall. That, and Takashi had a bigger trunk and a closet full of clothes.

Once he had started coming down to Keith’s room, it quickly became the second most comfortable place for Takashi. 

Keith huffed at his brother, who was still standing on his trunk. “Just because it has worked on me to this point does not mean it will do so forever. You will eventually have to confront your opponent,” Keith said as he swiped his staff at Takashi’s feet.

Takashi hopped over the staff and lurched forward. He stuck out his hands and steadied himself, on Keith’s shoulder. Keith twisted and pulled, throwing Takashi lightly over him. As he landed, Takashi commented, “Sheesh, what is your problem today?”

Keith growled as Takashi kicked the back of his shin, backing away. “That quiznacker from the marketplace.”

The picture of Lance hovering over Keith came back to Takashi. Lance’s wry smile, and the brief touch on his shoulder. Their midnight stroll filled with comfortable silence and quiet talk.

“Oh? What about him?” Takashi asked as he retreated from Keith’s range.

“He is… so flashy!” Keith spat out, scowling as he spun to face Takashi.

Takashi couldn’t stop his response, “But he stands on his own. It is nice to be equal with someone versus just being arm candy.”

Keith continued as if Takashi had not said anything. “He is so annoying.”

“He is creative and graceful,” Takashi murmured dreamily, remembering dancing in the square with him.

“He does not follow any dueling rules!”

“Well, he was right about that. In a fight against someone who wants you dead, they would not play by those rules either,” Takashi said, scratching the end of his nose.

Keith scowl hardened as he swiped Takashi’s feet out from underneath him. Ignoring Takashi’s yelp, Keith muttered irately, “His face is so…”

“I know! It is so dreamy!” Takashi sighed as he laid on the stone floor. The end of Keith’s staff laying on his chest.

“The way he moves—“

“Amazing, right?” Takashi said.

Keith stared down at him. “I was going to say it was sloppy.” Takashi snorted, rolling his eyes. “The way you are talking…” Keith squinted at him, Takashi raised his eyebrow. “It is like this man is the one you have been mooning over.”

Takashi kept his face passive, Keith groaned.

Dragging his hand down his face, Keith said dryly, “At least my fancy is not an arrogant quiznacker.”

Takashi’s mouth fell open. “Your fancy?”

The color abandoned Keith’s face. “Quiznack.”

Pushing away Keith’s staff, Takashi hopped up and clapped his hands. “Who? What? When? Where? _How?_ ”

Keith spluttered, giving no actual response.

Takashi leaned forward, staring down his brother. “Most importantly, is he good enough for you?” Keith didn’t respond, his cheeks flaming. “Have you spoken with him at all?”

That finally got an answer, as shaky and quiet as it was. “A few times. He has taken my order at the smithy...”

Takashi closed his mouth, a grin slowly spreading it across. “He works at the smithy? Shay’s new blacksmith?”

The younger prince crossed his arms and pouted, his blush darkening as Takashi laughed.

“Alright,” Takashi chuckled. “Alright. Is he Shay approved?”

Still blushing, Keith tugged on the end of his braid. “Shay seems to like him. He helped finish your new dagger.”

“Oh yes, the one you brought back from the smithy the other day,” Takashi said, grinning. “He is good then.”

“Oh shush you. At least mine is sweet and not a clotpole!”

“Lance is not a clotpole!”

Keith rolled his eyes, but he wore a small smile. “Uh huh, whatever you say, big brother.”

Takashi stuck out his tongue. “Am I going to do your hair or are you going to keep insulting my fancy?”

“Only if you stop asking about mine.”

“Perhaps.”

“Quiznack off.”

  
  
~

“He’s nice!” Keith said as he scowled at his brother.

“Ah, I see,” Takashi teased, smirking at the younger of the two. 

“I already told you! He’s a new blacksmith at Shay’s!” Keith elbowed Takashi in the side.

“I’m wounded! Man down! Man down!” Shiro exclaimed, turning and walking backwards down the street. “How much have you talked to him? What is his favorite color? His favorite food?”

Keith spluttered slightly, a blush rising in his face once again. “He likes... yellow?”

Takashi whistled, still smirking amusedly. “You are doing an incredible job at wooing him so far. Do you even know his name?”

Keith glared as he said, “Yes, I do! It’s Hunk, for your information!”

“Oh, good. You do know the name of the person you are _mooning_ over. It would be concerning if you did not.”

Not bothering to withhold a snicker at Keith’s enraged grumbles, Takashi pushed open the door of the smithy.

Immediately, he was greeted by the smell of hot metal and fire, with a touch of leather. Takashi stopped to inhale deeply, enjoying the mingling smells.

“I could marry you!” A familiar voice exclaimed. Shiro felt a strange pang in his chest.

_Lance_. 

Lance was half-way perched on the counter, looking into the back of the smithy, an arrow in hand. 

A robust laugh answered Lance’s words. A man ambled out of the back covered from head to toe in… something, a grin big enough to match his voice.

“I would take that seriously, if I did not know that was only for the food,” _Hunk_ said, setting down a set of arrows. Smacking Lance’s hand away from touching the tip of the arrow, Hunk tsked at the other man. “And if I did not know you have your heart set on a certain someone you keep meeting _after_ dark. One of these days I will have to explain to him that if he ever hurts you no one will find his body.”

“Hunk, you do not need to scare him! Pidge and ‘Lura will do well enough without your help. I would like to keep him around! And I have at least talked to the person I’m interested in. Talked as in an actual conversation. The person you refuse to shut up about has barely even talked to you!” Lance defended himself, scoffing lightly. “And it is not just the food, Hunk! You give amazing hugs and cuddles.” Lance’s tone changed. “You are just waiting for a _certain_ pretty boy, ain’t ya?”

Hunk blushed at Lance’s words. “And what if I am?”

Takashi glanced at Keith, noticing his hanging head and disappointed look.

“It is… fine. I suppose. But! I get to give you away at your wedding!” If it was even possible, Hunk’s blush darkened enough more. 

“Alas, for that to happen, I suggest you start by talking with him. Perhaps wooing him and courting him. You know... _instead_ of just staring at his _“good”_ sword skills, hotheaded attitude, those blue violet eyes, and those legs! That physique~” Shiro’s heart lurched, that sounded like Keith, but Lance was talking about… Hunk’s opinion of Keith... right? 

“Make. A. Move. Come on, you know you want to kiss him right on his greasy haired head~”

Hunk chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, eyes flicking towards the brothers. Who both hadn’t moved from the doorway. “His hair isn’t greasy. And you don’t you want to do that to _Shiro_?”

Takashi jolted, heartbeat picking up at the words. 

“One, Hunk, you should know better than naming people! Two, I am offended that you even _suggest_ that Shiro has greasy hair. He has good sense! And if yours has _any_ , then he will love you. Even if he has a _horrid_ sense about his looks. Really! Hunk! Stop laughing! His hair is _disgusting_!” Lance explained.

Takashi spared another glance towards Keith, shocked to find his face still dejected looking. They had basically described Keith, in everything but his name! But Takashi had to disagree, although Keith’s hair _looked_ greasy, it was not. It was actually really nice and soft. Takashi knew, they would braid each other’s hair to keep it out of the way.

Hunk looked pointedly at them, raising his eyebrows. “They are behind you, Lance.”

Lance stiffened slightly, glancing over his shoulder as his cheeks found a dark blush.

“Well _fancy_ meeting you here, Shiro!”

“They were here the entire time, Lance,” Hunk added, amusement dripping from his words.

Lance’s jaw dropped, his head whipping towards Hunk. “ _Just_ for that I’m telling Pidge! We will never let you live down your fancy!”

“Not like you were going to anyway.” Hunk turned towards Keith, smiling softly. “Good day, Prince Keith.”

Keith’s face flamed red as he tried to form words. Lance stepped into Takashi’s space, tilting his head closer to Takashi’s.

“Wanna get outta here?” Lance asked, eyes not _quite_ meeting his, as he watched Keith out of the corner of his eye. Takashi smiled, well aware that he lights up just hearing that Lance wanted to spend time with him.

“I would _love_ to.”

Lance grinned as he linked their arms together. Slipping out of the smithy, Lance offered Takashi the rest of his sweet bun that he had seemingly pulled out of nowhere and started snacking on.

“Am I special or what?” Shiro joked as he bit into the bun. The flavors perfect on his tongue, Takashi could barely hold back a moan. It was better than any sweet bun he had before. With the exception of the sweet bun Keith had brought him, but at the same time… it almost tasted better.

Probably because it was fresher.

“Yes, you certainly are,” Lance murmured, not intending to be heard. Takashi felt his cheeks flushing anyways.

Silence fell between them, and something seemed to be bothering Lance. He kept fidgeting, rocking his weight from one leg to the other, and tapping a rapid beat into his leg. They stopped to lean against a building when Takashi asked, 

“What is wrong?”

Lance blinked, his eyes going wide. He cleared his throat, rocking on his feet.

“Well, I… I was wondering if you w-would… maybe like to… courtme,” Lance stumbled over his words.

“What were those last few?” Takashi asked as he turned to Lance. To make sure he hadn’t _misheard_. He really hoped he hadn’t… 

“Would you...could I…court you?”

Takashi felt his face light up, his entire body thrumming with happiness. Lance’s nervous look had started to fade, but…

Takashi’s shoulders hunched.

“I cannot.”

Lance’s expression flashed hurt.

Takashi hurried to explain. “Not that I don’t want to, I do, but…” Shiro bit his lip. “I’mthecrownprinceand—“

“Slow down,” Lance interrupted, setting his fingers on Takashi’s collarbone. “Slow down, I cannot understand what you are saying.”

“I’m the Crown Prince, Prince Takashi,” Takashi said slower.

Lance slowly nodded, unshaken by the revelation.

“And that is a problem?”

Takashi blew out a harsh breath. “There is a tournament, in a moons time. It… is for my hand in marriage.”

Lance relaxed. “Oh, so that’s the problem.” Lance grinned at Takashi like it wasn't a problem at all. Takashi undeniably felt warmth fill in his chest at the sight. “I suppose I will just have to win this competition then.”

Takashi wanted to object, to explain the seriousness of the situation, how difficult the trials were, but he could not find it in himself to break the lighthearted spell.

  
  
~

Takashi muffled himself as yet another patrol approached his hiding spot. Frustration prickled at him as his leg began to cramp. There seemed to be more patrols through the castle today than any other day.

Yet there were no events happening, no nobles visiting. No treaties being made.

Not. A. Thing.

Listening until the sound of clanking footsteps disappeared, Takashi finally let out the breath he had been holding. Takashi peeked out from behind the tapestry.

The hall was finally clear.

Takashi quietly set his feet on the stone floor. Standing Takashi took a step forward, his knee buckled and sent him lurching forward. Takashi cursed under his breath as he caught himself on the wall. Pins and needles danced up and down his leg.

Huffing as he hobbled down the hallway, he shook his leg every now and then in attempts to get feeling back in it.

Takashi grumbled under his breath as he reached for the torch, the doorway stood darkly in front of him. If he could not go down his usual passageway into the courtyard, then he would just have to take the one that went directly into the town.

Someone cleared their throat.

Heart in his throat, the Crown Prince turned around slowly. “Hello Sir Te’Osh.”

“The library is down the hall, Your Highness.” The knight gestured behind her.

“I know. I just saw a spider web, so I figured I would brush it away.”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression seemed to scream “I know you are up to mischief”.

“Ah, I see. Shall I inform the maids about it?”

“No need, Sir Te’Osh. I’ve handled it.”

Sir Te’Osh nodded. “Very well. Stay safe, Your Highness.”

“I will, Sir Te’Osh,” Takashi called back.

As soon as she was around the corner, he pulled on the torch. The doorway was barely open, and Takashi was through and pushing it back. Submerged in darkness, Takashi squinted letting his eyes adjust for a moment.

Finding the wall, Takashi slid his hand along, as he began walking. Takashi scuffed his feet, carefully feeling for the drop-off that went into the ground. He had found this particular passageway when he was seventeen and desperately bored.

Keith had been off training with the knights, with no one to talk to Takashi had pulled on all sorts of objects to see if they activated anything. He only got as far as this particular passageway before he had started following it. He had started with the less populated areas of the castle to avoid being lectured about being up and about.

Takashi was fairly certain that the passage had been made so the royal family could make a fast exit without being seen, if the castle was ever taken.

Walking through the pitch black, time was distorted and the trip seemed short. Before he knew it, Takashi was pushing the trapdoor open.

And just like the first time, Shay’s face appeared. This time, she was shaking her head rather than the terrified look from a head suddenly popping out of the floor.

“You should be more careful during the day. There is a new blacksmith here after all,” Shay chided, but her smile took all of the sting out of it. He took the hand that she held out to him.

“I thought you approved of him,” Takashi teased as Shay pulled him out of the tunnel into the back room of the smithy.

“I approve of Hunk’s fancying Keith. He would treat Keith right, I am sure of that,” his brother’s best friend said, as she dropped him on the floor.

Takashi grunted. “Ouch. Have you told Keith that Hunk fancies him too?”

“And miss out on them awkwardly stumbling over themselves?” Shay raised her dark eyebrow.

Takashi laughed. “Fair point. I can always get a rise out of him by just mentioning Hunk’s name and smirking.”

“His reactions are--” Shay clucked her tongue.

“I know right.” Takashi rolled to his feet. “How have things been going for you? It feels like it’s been forever since we talked.”

“That is because it has been. And don’t think I don’t know about that handsome friend of Hunk’s.”

Takashi cleared his throat, feeling like his face was suddenly on fire. “Speaking of which, I have something I must attend to immediately. If it were not for that, I would stay and catch up. Alas.

Shay just gave him an amused look. “I will see you later then.”

“Mmmhhmmm. We can catch up before I head back.”

  
  
~

Not an hour later, Takashi found himself happily sitting next to Lance. After asking if there was a way for them to spend time together while being discreet and avoiding the guards, Lance had found them a place to relax. Takashi whistled softly as he kicked out his legs. “While I admit it is a gorgeous view, I cannot believe you got me back onto a roof. In the middle of the day, no less!”

Lance just chuckled. “You agreed to it.”

“Still, it was a terrible idea. I have no idea how you talked me into it.” Takashi shook his head.

“Because you want to be a bad boy, and misbehave,” Lance whispered. His breath brushing Takashi’s ear and causing him to jump.

“Lance,” Takashi said scoldingly, blood creeping into his face at their close proximity.

The man in reference hummed, his eyes staying firmly on Takashi’s face. As Takashi began to feel almost self-conscious a soft press against his lips stopped all train of thought.

The feeling was only there for a breath.

Against his will Takashi let out a small whine as Lance pulled away, moving to follow him.

Freezing as his brain caught up to his actions; Takashi jerked back and hunched his shoulders. Embarrassment flooding him.

Lance coughed delicately, apparently unsure how to proceed. Feeling Lance’s breathtaking eyes moving off of him, Takashi gnawed on his lip, worry twisting around him.

_Did I mess this up?… did I...?_

He felt something brush his hand. His eyes flicked down to see Lance brush his hand against his pinkie. Takashi watched as Lance hooked his pinkie around his own.

Looking at Lance’s face revealed a small, almost shy smile.

Takashi felt one of his own match it as he linked their fingers further.

  
  


~

Stretching, Takashi felt his back pop. He wondered if he should mark down the nights he did his rounds. They were going so well. The fae child Nathaniel appeared to finally be getting better too. Things were going well for once.

He tugged off his cloak and stuck it out of sight. Quickly changing from his day clothes to his sleep clothes; it would not be good for the guard to check-in on him and find him dressed to go out. Especially after the servant that helped him change had already come and gone.

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door.

Takashi shoved the clothing out of sight, slid under his blankets on the bed, and mussed up his hair -- all in that order. He cleared his throat, and did his best impression of a sleepy voice as he asked, “Yes?”

A familiar dark head popped through the doorway. “Sleeping well, my prince?”

Relaxing at the sight of the knight, Takashi smiled sleepily as hummed in agreement.

A smile flickered across Sir Te’Osh’s face before she nodded and the door shut once again. Slumping down, Takashi sighed as he rubbed his fingers together.

Takashi nodded to himself then slipped out of his bed. He claimed his usual spot on the top of the stairs next to Sir Te’Osh.

Sir Te’Osh was the only knight who probably knew that he snuck out at night, not that she had ever mentioned it. Yet, she almost always had a knowing smile about her when they were around each other.

“What has you in such a good mood tonight?” Sir Te’Osh asked, breaking the comfortable silence. 

“Oh, nothing in particular,” Takashi lied, knowing he had already given himself away by Sir Te’Osh’s snort.

“And I absolutely believe that.”

Takashi chewed on his lip. “Can you tell me one of your stories?”

“What would you like it to be about?” Sir Te’Osh asked, allowing Takashi’s avoidance.

“There is that infamous thief, right?” Takashi asked quietly.

Sir Te’Osh chuckled. “Yes. The thief is called the Black Hood. So many have spoken about him. Telling tales of his… heroics.”

“Do you agree with the people?”

Sir Te’Osh hummed. “I would say that he has helped many. He falls in the middle, I suppose. I do not agree with the way he goes about helping people, but…” She nods. “At the same time, I can not disagree with his results, he has helped many. By taking from the wealthy and giving back to the people By fighting for them,” Sir Te’Osh ducked her head, “by saving them from death.”

Takashi gulped. “Wow…”

Sir Te’Osh huffed slightly. “I know the feeling. I know how well he fights.”

“What do you mean?” Takashi asked, sitting up more.

“I have met the infamous thief, You Highness,” Sir Te’Osh breathed out, not looking at him.

“Really? What was it like? What was he like?”

“Why are you so interested in him?”

Takashi sighed, slouching. “Because he makes a difference. Something I cannot do.”

Sir Te’Osh bumped his shoulder with hers. “Do not be down. I am more than certain you can and will make a difference when the time comes. Much prevents you from doing grand things now. That does not mean you can not do things… more subtle, smaller things. Start small and build up, my prince.”

Takashi smiled, warmth blooming in his chest. “Thank you, Sir Te’Osh… I think I needed to hear that.” Takashi returned the shoulder bump. “Now… are you going to tell me how you met Black Hood?”

Sir Te’Osh chuckled. “Only if you tell me what has you in such a good mood.”

Takashi sighed dramatically and whined, “Fine.”

Chuckling at him, Sir Te’Osh shook her head. Takashi turned his head to hear, giving her his full attention. “I met the Hood several years ago, not long after I was knighted.” She brushed her thumb over a mark on her wrist. “I was sent to one of the villages near Corona’s border to Tuarjeer. There had been a group of bandits terrorizing the village, pillaging it for the harvest. There was only me and one other knight spared to go.” Sir Te’Osh inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly. “The bandits came back. We were so outnumbered. Then… out of nowhere… they just started dropping. For every one I took out with my sword, three more were already down. Soon, I was standing alone with bodies filled with arrows with the black feathers, the mark of The Hood. I only saw him for a moment.”

“What did you see?” Takashi asked, hanging on her words.

“I was getting there!” Sir Te’Osh chuckled, shaking her head. Clearing her throat, she continued, “All I saw was a dark figure raising his bow to the sky in salute, making his cloak open enough to see the sleek armor, before he was gone. He saved my life. For that, I am very thankful. I know that so many feel the same way.”

“That is amazing,” Takashi breathed.

Sir Te’Osh laughed softly. “Somehow, I knew you would say that. Now, it is your turn to tell me about why you were sneaking out.”

Takashi flushed. “I thought it was about what has me in such a good mood, not sneaking out!”

“You say that as if they are not related.”

Takashi choked at that. “Sir!”

She laughed and said in a sing-song tone, “Now, ‘fess up!”

Takashi rolled his eyes, but complied. “I think I might be in love.”

“Oh?” Sir Te’Osh prompted, leaning closer as if they were sharing a secret. Then again, Takashi corrected himself, it was a secret. Only Keith and Hunk really knew about Lance and him courting. “Who is the lucky one?”

“Oh, Sir Te’Osh, he’s so handsome and kind, and talented. He makes me feel so… free, I guess the word is. He got me to climb on a roof! Just to avoid being seen by some of the other knights. He loves the stars as much as I do.” Takashi shook his head and propped his chin on his palm. “It’s probably dumb to be so smitten when I have only known him for a few weeks now, but… I cannot help it! I do not think I have ever felt this way before! I am so comfortable around him. I do not have the Crown Prince, I can just be Takashi! Just Shiro!” Takashi chuckled breathless. “It is ridiculous right?”

Sir Te’Osh opened her mouth to respond, but Takashi didn’t slow down.

“I mean, really, he… he offered to sneak into the castle just to see me. Just being around him, just thinking of him, makes my heart race. This -- this is too fast, isn’t it?” Takashi asked, looking at her.

“Well, I think it is a bit fast, but sometimes love is like that. You fall hard and fast, and you cannot stop it. There are the people you can connect with easily. It sounds as if he is one of them.”

“I think so,” Takashi agreed.

“You will have to bring him around sometime, just so I can see if he is a sweet as you claim.” Sir Te’Osh squinted at him with both of her eyes.

“Sir Te’Osh!” Takashi yelped, heat flooding his face.

“There are so many stories I can tell them. After all, Keith already knows them. I must pass on the knowledge.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Takashi shoved her shoulder lightly, she just laughed.

“Hmmm, there was that time when you slid in that mud puddle and came back looking so guilty. It took hours to get that mud out of your hair,” Sir Te’Osh thought out loud. “Or that time you--”

“Not that one! Do not ever tell anyone that! It never happened!” Takashi exclaimed, hitting her leg as she started laughing again. “Stop laughing!”

“It is not as bad as you think it is.”

“You are never telling anyone that one. Ever.”

“If you say so… not.”

“Noooooo.” Takashi whined. Sir Te’Osh just gave him an amused look. “Why dontcha go tease Keith? He has a fancy himself.”

“Is he courting his fancy, like you?”

“No-- wait, no I did not--”

Sir Te’Osh curled forward wheezing. “Oh. My. Corona. You walked right into that one.”

Takashi leaned into her, moaning, “Stooooopppppp.”

She just laughed.

  
  
~

Huffing, Takashi hid behind a column. The guards were getting harder to hide from. It was becoming ridiculous some of the places he had to hide.

“ _Where does this_ foolish _prince keep going?_ ” Sir James grumbled.

“Psst,” someone hissed. 

Takashi jumped, glancing around.

“ _Psst. Shiro_ ,” they hissed again.

Combing the alley again, Takashi didn’t see anybody. 

“ _Up here, dumbass!_ ” they snapped.

Takashi craned his neck upwards and was rewarded with the sight of a smirking Lance waving at him from the rooftop. Lance jerked his thumb towards the end of the alleyway. Walking along the rooftop, Lance sat at the end. 

Lance looked at Takashi expectantly, then gestured for Takashi to come when he didn’t move. Once Takashi started moving, Lance patted the roof next to him.

Glancing back towards the main street, he darted across the alleyway and hopped onto a cart of hay. Lance snickered softly as Takashi ungracefully clambered up the wall.

Lance grabbed Takashi’s hand, pulling him the rest of the way onto the roof just as the knights rushed into the side street. Takashi fell forward, his knees landing on either side of Lance’s hips and one hand above his head.

Gulping, Takashi stared into Lance’s eyes, the blue eyes meeting his, for what seemed to be the first time ever.

“I could have sworn I saw movement here,” Sir Nadia’s voice flowed over them.

Lance was grinning up at him, eyes flicking down to Takashi’s lips for a split second. Sliding his knee down the roof, Takashi crept closer to the younger man. Lance’s hand traced Takashi’s cheekbone, the prince could have sworn the traveller had stopped breathing.

Takahi could tilt his head just so and their lips would touch, they were so close. His attention was caught between staring in those midnight blue eyes or at his plush lips.

The prince leaned in, their lips a hair’s breadth away. Lance started to rise to meet him.

“ _Takashi_ ,” a voice whisper-yelled. Takashi jerked back, blinking slowly. “ _Takashi you idiot, you can’t be out at this time._ ”

Oh. _Oh._

Takshi huffed irately, pushing himself up and putting some distance between them.

“I have to go, it was good to see you again, Lance,” Takashi whispered softly. Lance nodded, their eyes meeting for the briefest of moments.

“It was good to see you too.”

Lance linked their hands, squeezing them softly. Then he rolled, perching on the balls of his feet. And before Takashi knew it Lance was over the top of the roof and out of sight. _Where did he learn how to do that?_

Sighing, Takashi awkwardly got down off the roof. He should have had Lance coach him again. He landed hard on the ground, the impact sending shoots of pain up his legs. Keith just raised his eyebrows, far from impressed or enthused.

Keith studied him carefully. “Why were you on the roof?”

“Because it is fun. Why else?” Takashi countered, doing his best to appear far more innocent than he was. Not like he had just met up with the man he was courting, alone. Or that he had been about to kiss him. The thought had his hand darting to his lips. “We need sleep so we have enough energy for the meetings in the morning”

Keith didn’t object to Takashi deflecting and avoiding answering the question.

“Yes, unfortunately. May I remind you that at least one of the meetings has to do with the Tournament for your hand?”

“Do not worry, I haven’t forgotten.”

~~

“How much longer?” Black Hood questioned, again. As if he was a child, he kicked out his legs from the thick branch he was perched on.

“They should be here shortly,” Krolia responded shortly. She sniffed again, scenting the air for their target.

“Have you had a kid?” he asked suddenly.

Krolia didn’t flinch, merely gave Hood an inquiring look. 

_How does he-- He has been in Corona. Has he seen--_ Instead of voicing her thoughts, she asked, “Where is this coming from?” 

She caught his shrug as she focused back on the road. “Just curious. So much could have happened before we met.”

Krolia couldn’t hold back a small smile. “In response to your question, I’d have, yes.”

Her fellow Blade perked up and leaned closer towards her, finally stopping that irritating kicking. His voice going higher than normal. “Really?”

“Yes,” Krolia agreed, smirking now. “You.”

The snarky comment on the tip of her tongue evaporated the moment she caught sight of his face. _Is he… smiling?_ Krolia shook her head. _What a strange halfling._

A quick glance out of the corner of her eye confirmed her suspicions of the faint blush on his cheeks, but he was quiet with the softest, slightest smile she had ever seen on him.

“O-oh,” he breathed out.

There was a crunch of a branch, drawing away her attention. It couldn’t have been Ulaz, he was quiet.

Krolia allowed herself one moment before getting her -- as Lance would put it -- business face on. Her murmured just loud enough for him to hear. “Kit, they will be here shortly. You will have to get in position.” She added with a wink, “Take care to be quiet.”

Hood grumbled low enough that only a shifter like herself would catch, “Stupid Galra shapeshifters, always such smartasses.”

The familiar sound of a carriage’s wheels came closer. In a moment it would come around the bend. Krolia prepared herself, popping off the lid of the disguise potion and downing it in one gulp.

Shuddering, Krolia hacked, as if she had a hairball in her shifted form. It was over almost as soon as it started.

Hood clucked his tongue. “Well, look at you. Blonde and blue eyed, never would’ve pictured it.”

Krolia scowled as she stretched her muscles. Flexing her claws, Krolia allowed herself to fall; as she hit the ground, she sheathed her claws.

“HOOO!” the carriage driver yelled, forcing the two-horse team to slide to a fast stop.

Standing up, Krolia waved her hand at him. “Disembark from the carriage.”

“E-excuse you! What are you talking about?”

“That carriage you are driving now belongs to us,” Krolia said slowly.

“It certainly does not!” the driver spat out.

Before Krolia could retort, Hood called out, “I would not argue with her if I were you. She can rip out your throat faster than you can scream.”

_Wow, yes, let’s announce that I could tear him limb from limb._

The driver froze, fear filling the air, before frantically looking around. His hands tightening on the reins, Krolia stepped forward. Stroking the horses’ heads, the white ringing their eyes, Krolia held onto their headstalls. Krolia focused on soothing the animals as growls rang out around the small clearing around the carriage.

“You should get--”

“What’s happening out there?” a shrill voice interrupted, coming from within the carriage. The woman’s heady fear souring the air. _Lady Araina, the Royal Tax Collector of Corona._ The target Krolia had stalked for days, getting familiar with her scent and listening in on her plans. Which lead them to this secluded area on the road.

Above their heads, the wolf shifter could hear the thief walking softly, the branches barely moving as he walked from tree to tree.

Krolia stared down the shaking driver.

“I.. I am not giving a bunch of _bandits_ this carriage. Over my dead body!” the driver shrieked, gulping, but the scent of fear skyrocketed. The Galra just looked at him unimpressed.

“That can be arranged,” Krolia said. Tilting her head ever so slightly, she whistled sharply. The deep growls growing louder, the different animal sounds blending together. _The second potion worked like a charm._

Ulaz had grumbled about taking the disturbingly purple potion that was supposed to make his voice echo and change.

An arrow shot past the driver, just nicking his cheek enough to bleed. A gloved hand darted up to his cheek with a gasp, eyes bugging out of his head as he pulled the hand away and stared at the red stain.

In a clear, strong voice Krolia said, “That was a warning shot.”

Looking unsure, his hands shaking, the driver dove off of the carriage.

“Please, _please_ don’t kill me!” he cried.

“What’s going on?!” another distressed cry from the lady. A shifting black form stalked out of the bushes. The driver looked ready to wet his trousers.

_It is always so nice when a plan comes together smoothly._

Nearly ripping the door off of its hinges, a tall Blade pulled the woman out of the carriage. Holding the woman by her upper arms, the shapeshifter carried her over to where the driver stood shaking.

Dropping her unceremoniously, Ulaz drew his weapon watching them. Krolia released the horse’s headstalls with a final pat, Krolia hefted herself into the driver’s seat and gathered the reins. A wolfish smile spreading across her face as Hood scampered down the tree.

“A pleasure doing business with you two; boy-o come on,” Krolia said sweetly to the trembling, terrified Lady Araina and her driver. She nodded at the Blade.

Ulaz stepped back from the humans. With grace from years of training and fighting, the Galra stepped onto the side of the carriage. Clucking to the horses, Krolia urged them forward.

Hood whistled as they approached his hidden spot behind the tree. “I call the inside seat.”

Black Hood hopped smoothly onto the step and hung onto the doorjamb, waving as they turned the corner.

“Pip pip, this isn’t the end of the world,” he cheered. “It was a pleasure meeting you, send love from the Black Hood.”

Rounding the corner he pulled the door closed, Hood plopped onto the seat and pulled open the front curtains. “That went well.”

The three of them chuckled.

“You should not be so open about the alliance,” Krolia chided as Ulaz settled himself beside her.

“Oh fooey, a few already know about it, now it is just a reminder that we know what we are doing. I did not mention the Blades either. The lady will talk and more will know that the Black Hood has a tall man and a woman with _pale_ skin as partners.”

Krolia huffed a laugh. “I will readily look like myself again once we return.”

“Indeed, I must say blonde hair and fair skin doesn’t suit you, my dear, and you can not deny that I have rubbed off of you,” Hood joked from behind them. “After all, it is usually me that says “it’s a pleasure doing business”.”

Krolia snorted. “Whatever helps you sleep peacefully.”

“Thank you, Krols!”

Rolling her eyes hard enough to hurt, Krolia shook her head as she clucked at the horses.


	5. Everyone Trips, Everyone Falls

Lance leaned backwards, pushing his shoulders out of the way just as Krolia’s blade sliced the air where he had been seconds before.

_And here I thought we worked out the bad blood between us_ , Lance thought, but didn’t voice it. If he wasn’t so breathless or worked up, he would’ve.

Barely catching Krolia’s blade against his, Lance tried to catch his breath.

Blue violet eyes stared him down over their connected swords, her usual scowl set in place. _Stupid quiznacking shapeshifters. All with a lot more stamina than me._

“I,” Lance panted harshly, the words coming out in one breath, “thoughtyouactuallylikedme.”

“If I did not like you,” Krolia said, her foot coming up. Lance threw himself back, narrowly missing what would’ve been a debilitating blow to the knee. “You would be dead.”

Lance ground his teeth. Any other day he would have given back a smartass comment. Well, any day that did not include Alchemy training that was going this horribly. “Uh huh.”

Krolia’s eyebrow twitched before the world was blurring; Lance hit the ground hard. Frustration nipping at his heels, Lance felt his expression twist as he kicked out. Lance felt his foot connect with Krolia’s knee.

The Galra woman let out a muttered curse as she hit the ground as well.

Unlike Lance, she was instantly back on her feet without showing any hurt. Even with her immovable scowling face, Lance knew without a doubt she was in a lot of pain. At least it hadn’t been a rib, last time, she had nearly put Lance through a full wringer, then twisted him up and hung him out to dry.

Out of all of the Altean abilities he could have inherited, water and strength was what he got. Lance was stronger than a human, but not even half as strong as a Galra or full Altean. His hits still packed a punch, he had broken a few bones on a couple of the other Blades when he had trained with them. Ulaz was not impressed when he had to patch up two of his fellow Blades.

“ _Quiznack_ ,” Lance swore. He jumped back from the attack. Another strong swipe- he had a previous history with Krolia’s knives, even before becoming a spy for the Blade.

“Lance,” Allura chided. “You’re getting worked up.”

“ _No!_ Is it that obvious?” Lance snapped. His lack of progress was grating on his nerves. They had been at this for _hours_ now. _No_ stupid progress. Nada. Nicht!

“How did it feel when you did it then, Lance? Try to recreate that feeling,” Allura advised.

“I—” _block_ “Don’t—” _press back_ “Remember!” Lance shoved Krolia back with the knife in his hand, barely making her rock on her feet. “It’s not working!”

Lance threw the knife, it hit the ground with a _twang_ of metal. Shoving his hands through his hair, Lance tried to catch his breath. He felt too worked up. _Especially_ too worked up to be working on his Alchemy. Being worked up and using Alchemy was a _very_ bad combination. The thief tried to keep the frustrated tears from making their way out of his eyes.

“I don’t even get how those letters work! What are they hiding! Why was he locking up _blank_ letters!” Lance exclaimed, trying to focus on something else while swiping at the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. 

“You should not throw knives around,” Krolia tutted. Any other time, this would remind Lance of somebody, something about her voice. “Take a deep breath and try again. Perhaps we should bring in some water. Would that help you focus more on shifting your forms?”

“I don’t know!” Lance shouted, flinching at the echo of his words. He did not need to be reminded that he was acting like a bratty child throwing a temper tantrum. In a softer tone, he repeated, “I do not know. I’m not sure _how_ I did it, let alone how it felt or how to do it again. It all happened so fast.”

Krolia narrowed her eyes just the slightest. “We will return to this in the morning.”

“What?!” Lance gapped at the Galra shapeshifter. Krolia turned to leave the room.

“Yes, we are getting nowhere. It is pointless if you are just going to drive yourself to frustration.”

Lance pinched the bridge of his nose, unfortunately, he did agree with the statement.

“Alright, alright.”

He sounded a little lifeless even to himself. The Alchemist shuffled out behind Krolia, who spared him a small, possibly concerned look.

“You should get some sleep,” Krolia commented as they strolled towards their rooms. Lance did not remember anything of the walk or how far it was. Next thing he knew, he was standing in front of his room. The shapeshifter knew him too well. “Goodnight, Lance.”

“‘Night,” Lance murmured.

  
  
~

Lance dropped into the room, rolling to lessen the blow. Hopping to his feet, he was surprised not to be greeted by a knife to his throat.

A smile stole onto his face as he caught sight of his friends. Both of them were passed out on the table. They had stayed up late working on their projects.

Strolling across the room to where Hunk kept his pots, Lance snatched the closest one and twirled one of the wooden spoons. He smirked at the sleeping figures and used the spoon to hit the bottom of the pot. Once, hard.

Instantly, the two of them were up and looking around wildly. Pidge lost their balance, toppling backwards while Hunk was partly off of the table looking around like a dog that wasn’t quite sure what was happening. Lance completely lost it, he broke down in laughter.

Once they realized what had happened, Pidge scowled darkly at him. They muttered irritatedly as they shuffled to their shared bed. Lance set the pot and spoon back down, taking the seat Pidge had just been in.

“How was Gossip Day?” Lance inquired.

Hunk blinked slowly, rewaking up. “You sure you haven’t woken up the whole building with that racket?”

Lance flapped his hand unworriedly. “If they were searching for the source, they would’ve showed up already.”

The blacksmith frowned sleepily. “If you say so.”

“How was Gossip Day?” Lance repeated, tilting his head.

“It was pretty good.” Hunk half-heartedly shrugged. “Shiro swung by the smithy today, we talked a bit about… uh, what did we talk about again?” Hunk half asked himself.

“Isn’t he just wonderful?” Lance voiced, not paying attention to the odd look Hunk gave him. “He cares so much. His jokes are terrible, but so terrible they are kind of funny. We danced in the street, it was so much fun. I felt like I was flying, just the two of us.” Lance sighed softly. “Sometimes he has this soft scowl when he’s trying to work out something that’s bugging him. The smug grin he gets when he’s got it, or someone, figured out. I still can’t get over the fact that he’s joined me, climbing on rooftops. He’s even said it’s dumb, but he still did it. For me! For me.”

“Uh huh,” Hunk murmured, his head sinking back down during Lance’s rambling.

“I really want to braid his hair,” Lance confessed, heat climbing up his neck. “It looks so soft.” Lance closed his eyes. “And his muscles... Oh. My. Ancients.”

Hunk hummed softly, studying his friend.

“I was thinking about visiting him tomorrow. I did say I’d visit him if he couldn’t get out without too much trouble.”

Hunk snorted and muttered, “You promised to win the tournament for his hand. What’ll happen if you don’t?

He had said that, didn’t he?

“Than someone else will win his hand,” Lance answered, the words leaving a sinking feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t logical, with his life, relationships were unwise. Yet, the thought of anyone else marrying Shiro made him uncomfortable.

A sinking, terrifying feeling hit him.

“It can’t possibly be,” Lance blurted out, all of the warmth seeping out of him.

Hunk mumbled something unintelligible that Lance didn’t pay attention.

“No way. Impossible.”

He couldn’t be… falling for the Crown Prince?

Could he?

  
  
~

Lance walked around the corner and opened his mouth to greet Shiro, but snapped it shut when the prince started talking. Ducking back around the corner, Lance lifted his hands and inhaled deeply, focusing.

The water in the air solidified. A wave of his hand and Shiro appeared in the watery image, standing next to the lady he was speaking to.

“Lady Araina,” Shiro said, turning on the charm with a smile. “I thought you were staying in Corona for longer than you did. Was there an emergency?”

The woman in name gave him an uncomfortable look, fidgeting under the prince’s gaze. Lance leaned back against the wall, quickly checking for witnesses. Relaxing minimally when no one was in sight, Lance looked back at his makeshift mirror. “What do you mean, Prince Takashi?”

“Oh nothing really, I just thought you would have stayed around longer last time,” Shiro said sounding wistful.

Lance’s heart twisted painfully at Shiro’s words, but he could not make himself move. _Of course, what am I compared to a noble lady?_

“Oh, oh,” Lady Araina said, brushing her dark hair back. A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she smiled.

“What happened to--”

“Lady Araina,” a voice snapped out. “The King’s Regent will see you now.”

The lady froze, her face suddenly becoming pale. Giving Shiro a regretful, uncomfortable look, she touched his arm- an ugly feeling burned in Lance’s throat- she said in a low voice, “I have to go.” 

With that, she dashed down the hall.

Lance swallowed thickly, but life came back to his limbs. The water hit the ground with a splash. Swinging around the corner, he came face to face with Shiro. The prince’s face brightened at the sight of him, Lance looked away, his eyes suddenly burning.

_Stupid. Why are you getting so worked up? He’s a_ prince _._

“Lance, I am sure you saw that, and I swear it is not what it looked like,” Shiro begged, his voice full of an unclear emotion.

“What what looked like?” Lance asked, feigning calmness.

_"That_ ,” Shiro said gesturing behind him. “With Lady Araina. I hold no feelings for her.”

“You were flirting for no reason, with someone who clearly fancies you?”

“Yes!” Shiro’s face brightened before falling into a horrified look. “That sounds terrible. I do not mean it in such a mean way. I was just trying to find out some information.” If possible his face got even more horrified. “Not in that way! She showed up today in a great tizzy talking about some bandits stealing her carriage. It makes no sense. She should not have even been out. She collects the taxes from the villages of Corona, but that should not be for several moons yet.”

Shiro’s distressed, rambling appearance was comforting. Lance felt like a mess every time he was around Shiro, heart beating too fast, nervous, tripping over his words or forgetting them all together. Yet, at the same time, Shiro was so easy to be around. They did not have to talk to have a good time, all they had to do was be together. It was fun just being around Shiro.

“Oh,” Lance breathed out, nodding slowly. He resisted the urge to spy on Rudolph at that moment.

“Yes, and my uncle is refusing to let me be a part of the meeting either.” Shiro’s tone was distressed and frustrated. Lance dug his nails into his hand, and held himself back from swinging himself out of the window to listen in. “That is why I was flirting with her.”

Lance nodded again. “I understand, Shiro.”

Shiro let out a relieved sigh, relaxing. “Thank you.” Shiro brushed his hair back. “How did you get in? What are you here for?”

“For you,” Lance responded, a smirk making an appearance on his face. 

“O-oh,” Shiro stuttered, his cheeks flushing. “You did not answer my first question.”

“I have my ways.”

~~

“You would not believe what I found out!” Lance announced.

Hunk all but shrieked, and nearly scattered his designs, then gave his friend a dirty look. “Lance! We have talked about this! You can not walk around so silently, I am human, and do not have super hearing! Walk louder!”

Lance just snorted, moving around their little table. “I was not even trying to be quiet. You should work on focusing on multiple things. Ya know, instead of ignoring everything around you, like Pidge.” Lance smirked as he gestured to the aforementioned person. Hunk did not bother to hold in his groan as Lance grabbed Pidge’s sides.

The human alchemist screeched like some sort of demon the moment Lance’s hands brushed their sides. Pidge shot up from their seat, shoving their bony shoulder into Lance, who was still cackling like some sort of loon, and tackled him. The stool teetered for a moment before crashing to the floor.

Hunk shook his head as Pidge growled, “What. The. Quiznack.”

Lance just gasped for breath. Hunk was not sure if it was because he hit the floor hard or if he was laughing too hard. Or perhaps it was Pidge’s knee digging into the spy’s chest too hard.

“You shoulda seen you face,” Lance wheezed out.

...it was _probably_ laughter…

Hunk hoped it was at least.

“You utter ass,” Pidge growled again, scowling down at their friend.

Hunk wisely kept his mouth shut and stirred his pot.

“Your book is about to fall off of the table,” Lance oh so helpfully pointed out.

“And whose fault is that?” Pidge leapt up to save their massive alchemy book from falling.

Even without looking up, Hunk knew Lance was giving them a shit eating smile. Hunk cleared his throat before either of them could continue. “Lance… you said you found out something?”

He glanced up in time to witness Lance’s grin, and the glint in his eye before he burst out. “You will literally not believe what I found out. It is _so_ juicy.” Hunk opened his mouth, but Lance beat him to the punch. “I know. I know~ It’s not Gossip Day, but this is too juicy to not talk about yet.”

Pidge’s eyes glimmered at the promise of juicy gossip.

“Oh?” Hunk was dubious, showcasing his thoughts with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh yes,” Lance purred. But… Hunk squinted at Lance, there was something off about him, like there was something bothering him. Not that Hunk had a chance to ponder what was bothering his best friend. 

“Remember the carriage that we stole the other day?”

“Yes...” Pidge and Hunk said simultaneously.

If possible, Lance’s grin widened. “Well, I happen to know that the owner of that carriage was Corona’s very own Royal Tax Collector.”

“What?!” Pidge yelped, their own grin growing to match Lance’s.

Hunk just blinked slowly and waited for Lance to continue.

“But it is not tax season, the money in the carriage was wrongfully taken.”

Hunk nodded, making a small ‘ahh’ sound. “So that is why you are so happy. You are taking money that was basically stolen from the kingdom’s people.”

Lance sighed happily and nodded enthusiastically. “You betcha.”

Pidge whistled lowly. “Whoa…” Pidge suddenly frowned. “Wait… does that mean the royal family is taxing their people wrongfully? Is that not a really bad thing?”

Hunk felt frost filling him just at the mere prospect that Keith could be involved in something like that. Lance froze too, but then nodded slowly.

“There are other possibilities for what could be happening though. There could be a lord or lady in a high position, or even the Royal Tax Collector herself that wanted to keep the money. Or even someone close to the King or King’s Regent who could have forged the tax to use the money for other things.”

“You do not believe there is even a possibility the princes are involved, do you?” Pidge asked.

Hunk made a choked out noise, shuddering and shaking his head. There was _no_ way.

Lance’s face lost all warmth; his face was stone cold. “Shiro, nor Keith would do that. They go out of their way to feed people who cannot feed themselves. On top of that, they are kept out of the serious discussions, when it comes to the kingdom. If it is any of the royal family, it would be the King or his brother.”

“It is not even just bias,” Hunk whispered. “Keith… he would not do that to others. He knows how hungry feels. He would not.”

“Who is to say that is not the reason why he would do it?” Pidge offered.

“Do not,” Lance said coldly.

Hunk shuddered at the room’s drop in temperature.

“I am just saying, it is a possibility.”

Hunk turned back to his pile of designs, returning to sketching out armor and weapons again. Trying desperately not to think of the implications, if it were true.


	6. Keep My Head Above

Takashi idly flipped through a book, unable to focus on the words. If he were to be asked what was going on in the book, he would not have been able to answer.

As soon the love interest had jumped into a wagon to escape capture, Takashi couldn’t focus. His mind kept darting off down a different rabbit hole.

He kept picturing Lance disappearing across the roof so quickly, so surely. Like he’s done it a million times before.

Takashi leaned back in his chair. _He must do it regularly. With that amount of assured confidence on the rooftops, there is no possible way that he had not. Not after how many times I have seen him hopping onto the roof like it was nothing. No average traveller knows how to do that. Where did he--_

His train of thought was broken as the book slipped from his hands. The clatter startled him, and Takashi swallowed, shaking his head. He had no idea where these thoughts were all coming from, maybe it was the shock that a traveller had gotten into the castle far too easily.

Takashi leaned down to pick up his book, the fall had unfortunately lost his place. His eyes caught on the documents he had originally come to the library to study.

Since it was his tournament, he was supposed to take part in the planning of it. Takashi sat his book down next to the stack of parchment that he had been ignoring for almost two and half moons now.

_Two and a half moons_ , Takashi’s mind helpfully repeated. Shuffling through them hoping to find a part that would not bore him to sleep. _It has been over two moons since I met Lance._

That thought had him frozen, had it really been over two moons. _Already?_ It seemed impossible for time to pass so quickly. Two moons meant he and Lance had been courting for a moon and bit already. A moon and a bit of sneaking around and doing things Takashi never would have dared on his own.

Lance’s guiding hand as he lead the prince from roof to roof, chuckling the whole way. His brilliant blue eyes glowing even in the near darkness.

“How?” Takashi whispered to himself, but then shook his head. It was not that important. Well, it was, but it was not what he needed to be thinking about at the moment.

He had to think about the details of the Tournament of the Hand; not about Lance promising to win it.

No. No. _No._ There would be a lot of competitors, nobles and commoners alike. The probability of Lance winning was low.

Not that he knew how Lance fought, perhaps he could fight well enough to win. He did beat Keith after all.

Takashi knew better than to hope, but he could not squash it.

Catching sight of the cover of the book he had been reading, Takashi’s hope twisted and fought with his worries. He had to find out what that was about.

Who could slip past the guards without being detected? Could eavesdrop without being caught?

The only answers his mind could come up with were a thief, an assassin or a spy.

None of these could be Lance… right?

  
  
~

Takashi stifled a yawn as he curled his legs under him. After so many meetings over the details, all Takashi wanted to do was sleep. Alas it was only mid-afternoon when his last meeting finished up.

Not a great time for a nap, but he had planned to have one anyway. Or at least he had planned to have one before his father, the King, requested to see him.

“How has your day been?” Eito asked with a small smile.

Takashi returned the soft smile as he set his chin on his palm. “Busy. Yours?”

“Boring.” Eito chuckled. “What were you doing?”

“Meetings. Finalizing the plans for the tournament.” Takashi held back another yawn.

“Oh, you are taking part in the planning of it? I never did. My mother had taken care of all the details. Your grandmother was more than determined to make it the best event that was ever held,” Eito said, sighing softly. There was a dreamy look in his eyes, Takashi could only guess at what was the cause of it. Takashi hoped it was his mother.

“I asked to be part of the planning. Organizing an event would be a good experience for me.” Takashi clucked his tongue. “What is the stuff about the gifts?”

Eito huffed lightly. “The gifts are to do with the contestants. When the tournament is over the champion must present the prince with a betrothal gift. Your mother gave me an amulet.”

A thin, bony hand went to Eito’s throat, tugging at a thin cord that laid there. Eito pulled on the cord, revealing a beautiful royal purple gemstone. A soft glow pulsed from it.

“Whoa,” Takashi breathed out, his fatigue forgotten as he leaned closer. He had never seen it before, Eito had not been eager to share memories of his wife for a long while.

“It is connected to me, the glow from within beating with my heart,” Eito murmured, running his thumb over the polished stone. _So it tells the holder whether his heart still beats then?_

“I gave your mother a--” Eito started coughing roughly.

Takashi straightened up, worrying filling him quickly. “Father?”

“I am fine, Taka,” Eito assured, still coughing.

Knowing he would get nowhere, Takashi nodded slowly. “What should I get my betrothed?”

Eito coughed again before answering, “That requires knowing them at least some, but something for protection is always a good option.”

Takashi nodded, rolling the idea over in his head. If Lance won, something blue would probably be the best choice.

“Are you going to tell me--” Eito inhaled roughly as another coughing fit overcame him. Takashi barely kept himself from shrinking in his seat. They need not converse if it hurt him so much, but the Crown Prince knew better than to say it aloud. Eito would only insist he was _fine_. In perfectly good health, despite all of the evidence saying otherwise. Eito gasped in a breath, Takashi linked their hands and squeezed. A wane smile crossed his father’s face. “About the lucky someone who caught your eye?”

Takashi blinked, surprised. More surprised Eito brought it up, than that he had noticed something was off about him. Not to mention Keith probably mentioned it. Takashi huffed as he rolled his eyes. “He is something else, Father. So sweet, funny, and… a little nuts. He is so willing to do something reckless and dangerous, but so adventurous. The way he moves is…”

Eito laughed breathlessly. “Sounds like a real catch.”

“He promised to win the Tournament,” Takashi said before he could think better of it.

Eito laughed again, this time more of a wheeze. “A catch indeed.”

Takashi allowed the dopey smile he had been resisting to claim his face. 

  
  
~

Takashi knocked on the door and rocked on his feet, he just wanted to speak to Lance. The question of how lance could do what he did refused to let him rest, even after the soothing conversation with his father. Takashi needed to confirm his suspicions or put them at ease. No average person knew where the guards did not bother to look; or how to slip around them so slickly. Was Lance—

The door swung open to reveal a short person with choppy, tawny brown hair. It looked like they had taken a knife to it and sawed it off. By the time Takashi met their eyes, they were glaring something fierce.

“ _What?_ ” The words were cold and harsh.

“I-I was hoping to speak with Lance, he s—“ Takashi stuttered out.

But they were not listening anymore. They had turned to look back inside the inn room. “It’s Shiro! Do you want to talk to him or not?”

Takashi did not quite catch what the reply was, but they jerked their head towards the inside and stepped to the side to let him in.

“Lance is not feeling great today. Do not make him feel worse. Or, I will make you regret it.”

With a final glower, they stalked past him back into the room.

Takashi followed at a slower pace, cautiously approaching the bedchamber. Nerves threatening to strangle him as he moved to speak with Lance. Could he really ask? Was he really ready to hear whatever the answer was?

Entering the bedchamber, Takashi found that there was a single bed, piled on top of it were several blankets. Underneath were three bodies in an oddly shaped lump.

The person that let him in was snuggled towards the middle, despite being on the edge of the bed. Takashi recognized the second person on the far side of the bed as Hunk, from the smithy. Takashi’s deduction that Lance was in the middle, was confirmed when Lance’s head made it out from underneath the mountain of blankets, his tired blue eyes squinting at the Crown Prince.

“Hello.” Lance’s voice sounded hoarse and his eyes seemed lifeless. The usually bright blue were dull, as if unseeing what was there.

“How are you?” Takashi decided that his questions could wait. _I do not need to know that badly._

The blankets moved in an up and down motion where Takashi assumed Lance’s shoulders to be.

“I have been better,” came a soft murmur. “Why did you come?” Takashi flinched, Lance hunched down. “Sorry, ‘m just not feeling great.”

“I… just wanted to see you.”

“Oh.”

Lance wasn’t looking at him, he was staring with a far away look. An eerily resemblance to Keith when he started thinking about his past. Takashi’s chest felt tight. There was so much about Lance that he did not know. What haunted him so much that he would look like this?

“I-is there anything I can do?”

Lance looked at him, but he wasn’t _seeing_ the man. There was a small shake of his head, Takashi’s chest twisted painfully.

“I should sleep,” Lance mumbled, shuffling back under the blankets. “Goodbye Shiro.”

The words struck him hard in the chest, Takashi scorned his uselessness. It was tiring, and upsetting never being able to do anything, especially for the people he cared about the most.

He nodded. “Goodbye Lance. I hope you feel better soon.”

With that, Takashi walked out, keeping his back straight until he was out of the room and the door was closed. Then he crumpled, the angry words he directed at himself stung.

How could he call himself a caretaker of his people when he could not help those he cared about so deeply?

The frustration caved in his chest, his hand prevented any sound from escaping his lips.

First his father, now Lance. Who was next? Keith? Sir Te’Osh?

What a prince he was.

~

Peeking their head above the blankets, Pidge stared at Lance. “What was that about?”

“I am having a crisis, allow me to have a crisis,” Lance replied, burrowing back under the blankets.

“Crisis about what?”

“Anything, everything.”

“Ah…” Pidge studied him for a short bit before looking over his shoulder, Lance narrowed his eyes at them. “Are we still on for our gossip session this week?” Lance nodded his consent. “Hunk?”

“Yes.”

“I probably will have a mission to go on first, but I should be back in time,” Lance admitted.

“Just come back in one piece this time,” Hunk murmured from the other side of Lance.

“I always do,” Lance joked back. As if his eyes did not tell a different story. Pidge knew the look of mourning when they saw it. They had seen it on their mother, a many number of the Blades, in villages that had seen better days.

Yet it was different seeing it on their friend. It was a sore reminder there was much they did not know about him. Bile burned in their throat, Pidge wished that Lance trusted them enough to tell them about it, but knew it was hypocritical when they despised talking about what it was that lead them into this life.

Pidge sighed softly, tucking their head against Lance’s chest. Maybe in time he would trust them with whatever was weighing him down, like they might trust him with their pasts. , maybe not. Either way, that was a problem for future Pidge to think about.

Slowly, Pidge drifted off to sleep in the comfort of their two best friends.

~~

“Black Hood,” Kolivan called. Hood looked up from sharpening his dagger.

“Yes Leader?” the thief asked.

“You will want to see this.” 

Krolia paid no mind to the curiosity that burned in her chest, continuing to sharpen her own Galtean blade. “Krolia, come,” Kolivan called. 

Biting her tongue to keep herself from making a smartass comment, if only because the Hood was awaiting it with a smirk. She was not going to give him that satisfaction. They had previously made a game of who could be the biggest smartass, he claimed he won the title more than she had.

“What no smartass comment for Leader this time around?” Hood joked as he bumped her shoulder. Krolia gave him a blank look, receiving his usual response of a grin and wink. “Or are you just resisting starting another one of our competitions?”

Krolia kept her eyes on Leader Kolivan’s back. “Our competitions? You are a sore loser, it is no fun to compete against that.”

“So, you do admit that we compete.”

“Only to your insistence,” Krolia shot back. Despite her years of experience, she could not fight the small smile that spread across her face. In reality, she did not want to. Not when Lance lit up, just at the sight of her genuinely smiling because of him.

“Are we going to get another mission together?” Hood whispered.

“Presumably,” Krolia answered, her voice at a normal level. Kolivan would hear what they were saying either way.

“Okay, so when are we going to practice _that_ again?” Hood asked, he started chewing on his lip. A nervous tick he had picked up sometime before they had met.

Krolia blinked slowly, had it only been four years already since she had met him? He had forced her sit in the same spot for hours with his alchemy after she had bested him in a fight? How had they gone from her always being on edge around him to this joking familiarity?

At her lack of response Hood had looked up at her nervously. Krolia patted his shoulder. “We will get to strengthening that ability soon, but first, we have a meeting to attend, yes?”

Krolia ignored the warm feeling she felt at Hood’s nervous, but beaming face. She was not that fond of him.

Absolutely not.


	7. Break My Bones, Won't See Me Fall

Strolling along, Lance grinned as he hummed to himself. It was a hassle to get from one place to another, but this was going to be worth it. Well, worth it if he got what he came for.

Smack dab in the middle of the _sweet_ little town of Armigil.

Stopping in front of the inn, Lance looked over the structure. Someone had just freshened the paint on the sign, telling all that the border inn and pub was called “Pints and Punts”. Loud music and laughter carried through the worn wooden door. The sign declaring “4 GAC A PINT” hung offside. Lance eyed the logs, more than certain if he touched one he would end up with a hand full of splinters.

Lance smoothed his hands over his tight-fighting clothes hidden under his light gray cloak and an illusion made to make anyone that saw him saw what they wanted instead Lance. Lance slipped inside without much fuss -- not a head turned in his direction. Moving through the boisterous crowd, Lance spotted his target.

Royal Council Member of Corona, Abednego Baldwin.

Baldwin visited Armigil -- town over from Corona -- to have fun with his prefered entertainment. Where his wife couldn’t find out. Gossip might travel like a wildfire, but not quite that much.

Lance inhaled deeply, putting on his best sultry face.

Sidling up to Baldwin, Lance gestured for the bartender for a drink. Slyly, Lance tilted his head to glance at the council member out of the corner of his eye. Lance allowed a slight quirk to his lips.

Baldwin cleared his throat and turned towards Lance. “I do not believe I have seen you around here before. I could not forget such a stunning face.”

Lance chuckled. “I have heard that line before.”

“Mmmm, I can tell why,” Baldwin purred softly. “May I ask as to why you are here?”

“A semi-decent drink. Possibly even some company.” Lance made a show of looking the elder man up and down. If it were not for the awful personality and the adultery he had no problem with committing, Lance would not have a problem with flirting with the man.

Baldwin smirked. “I do not know about the first one, but I might be inclined to help the second one.”

“Oh?” A smile teased at Lance’s lips, one he smoothly hid behind the mug of ale the bartender slid to him. “What makes you say that?”

“I have been told I can be good company.” Baldwin leaned forward, pressing into Lance’s personal space.

Ignoring his own discomfort, Lance trailed his fingers along the lord’s arm. “Hmmm. Do we want to test that?”

Baldwin’s eyes were hooded. “I would. What do you say?”

Lance forced a comfortable, flirty smile onto his face. “Sounds like fun.” Tipping forward, Baldwin’s breath ghosted Lance’s lips. Something twisting in his gut, Lance traced his hand up the lord’s arm and purred, “Wanna find somewhere a little more… private?”

“I like the sound of that.”

Lance smirked and gestured the bartender back over. Without breaking eye contact with Baldwin, Lance asked lowly, “Is there a free room?”

Baldwin’s dark eyes lit up at the words.

“Ya, I c’n show ya two up.”

Lance nodded numbly as he wrapped his hand around Baldwin’s wrist, feeling the pulse beat wildly just under the skin.

The bartender led them through the throng of people and up a set of stairs. Stopping in front of one of the doors, he jerked his head towards it. “50 GAC for a night.”

Discomfort making itself known again at the price, but Lance nodded and smiled sweetly. The bartender handed over a key and sent them a knowing kind of look before disappearing back downstairs.

Lance let himself into the room, Baldwin was on his heels.

After the door was shut well and good, Baldwin’s hands settled on Lance’s hips. Bile creeping up his throat, Lance turned around. Their eyes meeting, Lance reached inside of himself bringing out the uncomfortable tingling, fuzzy feeling.

Lance focused on Baldwin’s eyes, his tongue feeling oddly numb. “You will never remember meeting me or anything of what I say until I say ‘Colorolo”.”

Baldwin’s eyes glazed over, Lance having complete control over him in half a heartbeat. Some people's minds were easy to influence, to take hold of.

An hour later, Lance slipped out of the window and dropped into a roll. Glad to be out of the same room as the council member, Lance was ready to be home in his own bed.

As soon as he divulged all he learned to Leader Kolivan and Leader Allura.

  
  
~

The sickly feeling stuck to him like tar since his mission.

“What is so different about it this time around?” Lance voiced in the safety of their inn room. No Allura or Kolivan in sight. While he considered Allura a friend, she was still his leader and one of the last Alteans at that. His hand brushed his cheekbone, the expectations she had of his powers were terrifying to say the least.

“What is different?” Hunk asked, the sound of charcoal on paper accenting his words.

“I feel… I do not know. Something felt different about this last mission. I did not even sleep with the bastard, yet I feel…” _Used, leftovers, worthless_ , his brain offered. Lance sighed, tilting his head backwards and stared at the open window. “It was only flirting, a necessity for the mission.”

“Perhaps what is different is your heart is taken by another?” Hunk offered.

Neither of them had talked much about their fancies since the uncomfortable conversation they had the other day about the Royal Tax Collector. The thought set like lead in his stomach. But they knew better then not to doubt someone, it was in Lance's job after all.

“Perhaps,” Lance murmured, closing his eyes and blocking out the world, once again glad he was not having the conversation within the hearing of Allura. If a relationship was affecting his performance on the job he would have to stop. There was no time for distractions in such a dangerous game. Opening his blue eyes to the dark outside, Lance breathed out, “Perhaps not.”

Hunk just hummed. Whatever he thought he decided against voicing it.

Lance just sighed again.

  
  
~

Noticing a flickering light in his mirror, Lance bolted upwards from his spot on the castle’s roof. Unease filling him as he picked out the source; the room three windows over and two down from Lance’s position. A shudder ran through him at the memory of his last trip there.

No one was up at this time of night. Lance was on his feet and was quickly making his way across the roof of the castle.

Nearing the window, he slid carefully along the walls. On the window’s ledge, Lance perched and peered into the room. The source of light was a small candle. If Lance wasn’t used to searching for out of the ordinary actions, he probably would not have noticed.

Hanging onto the wall, Lance pressed himself out of sight.

“ _What are you doing here_ ?” A voice hissed. Lance could have sworn the voice was familiar. “ _You know how dangerous it is. Coming_ here _could expose us!_ ”

_Expose who?_ Lance wondered.

“ _I know, but you needed to hear this immediately, Sire_ ,” a female voice admitted. 

_This is bad._ But it would be worse if he was caught. From the sounds of it— Lance cut off that line of thought, he could think about it later.

“ _Well, what is it, Amare?!_ ”

There was a deep breath. “ _The Black Hood is apart of the Blade._ ”

“ _What?! Are you absolutely certain?!_ ” 

Lance didn’t dare to breathe. The relation between the Blade and the Hood was foggy at best.

“ _This is_ bad. _They could destroy my_ entire plan _, we must be rid of them._ King Zarkon _must be made aware of this development. The Hood is more than just a mere outlaw or a thief._ ”

Lance dared to look through the window, his foot slipped from the ledge as he saw their faces. Hissing as his palms scraped against the wall, Lance hung onto the ledge.

“ _What was that?!_ ”

Lance swallowed, swinging himself back and forth before pulling himself upwards, grabbing the next ledge above the duo’s window and pulling himself up again. While there was cursing below him,he leaned backwards out of sight and not finding a window to support him, Lance toppled backwards with an indignant, but quiet squawk. 

Rolling to avoid any unnecessary injuries, Lance opened his eyes at the sound of a sword being drawn.

“Who the hell are you?”

_Oh hell. He knew that voice._ It was Prince Keith.

Carefully looking up, but not removing the hood covering his face, Lance enjoyed the sight of being at the end of a sharp broadsword. 

Keith’s face hardened.

“You are the _Black Hood_ ,” Keith growled. Lance suppressed a groan, _everybody_ was talking about him tonight. And it _was not_ in a good way.

Before he could do anything, Keith flicked Lance’s hood off with the tip of his sword.

“What the _hell_?”

Lance tutted at Keith, carefully standing up. “You really should put down your sword before you hurt yourself.”

Keith bristled.

“ _Lance?!_ ” 

Lance winced at the edge in Shiro’s voice.

“You should not be here!” Shiro exclaimed, keeping his voice low. Face tense as he sheathed his sword. “They just sent out guards in search of an _intruder_.”

Lance drew in a deep breath. “Well, I was not an intruder... until I fell through that window of yours. Because I was not _inside_.” Lance frowned and shook his head, stomach rolling. “I was not _the_ intruder.”

“You just said that.”

Shiro’s face was guarded. “What do you mean?”

“Do I really need to repeat myself, Shiro?” Lance drug his eyes along the wall, racking his brain. _It was here somewhere…_ “Can I use the secret passageway?”

Keith spluttered. “How do you know about it?”

Lance glanced incredulously at the brothers. “I’ve seen you both use it at least fifteen times since I have been in town. That, and I might have an old layout map of the castle that shows the passages built in.”

Lance started tracing his fingers over the stones.

“What is _going_ on?!” Keith growled, _finally_ sheathing his sword. Probably due to Shiro’s prompting.

Lance let out a suffering sigh. “I’m the Black Hood, I work with the rebellion. Do I really need to elaborate right now? I would rather not die, thank you very much.”

“Why are you here?”

Lance tried not to groan, continuing his search for the lever. “Because I work with the rebels and we need intel. _I_ get intel.”

“You are a _spy_ ,” Keith spat out the word with venom.

“Yes, I am! Do you really care that much? If I wanted either of your harmed, killed, or even, dare I say, kidnapped; I would have already done that. If that was all I wanted, there would have been no point in speaking with Shiro,” Lance challenged, raising his eyebrow at Keith. Shiro had a pensive and hurt expression, Keith just looked pissed.

“You could be trying to get information from Shiro?” Keith accused.

Lance scoffed. “When I can get information _myself?_ ” Turning to the princes, Lance set his hands on his hips. “ I _probably_ know more about what is happening in your kingdom than you both do. Tell me please, why bother? I talked to Shiro because I was curious about him, about a _royal_ caring about more than just themselves, and taking the time to hand out food. To be _nice_ to those less fortunate. I have morals that I stick to. I only go after self-centred and corrupt royals and the rich. Shiro, is neither of those.”

“You what?!” Shiro’s eyes widened before his face became guarded.

“ _Ancients_ , is tonight ‘confess while the guards are searching the castle’?” Lance openly asked, rubbing his face. “I never lied to you, Shiro.” Lance stressed it, the only lies were by omission. “I just omitted some things. I knew who you were all along, but I wanted to know who you are. Not the Crown Prince Takashi. I asked ‘what do you want to be called’, not ‘who are you’. There is a difference between the two.”

Lance carefully kept his eyes from Shiro’s face, unwanted memories already coming to the surface. Forcing back a rough sigh, Lance pinched the bridge of his nose.

“In five days time, meet me just past the edge of the forest. Out of sight.”

“Why would we come?!” Keith snapped.

“If you want to know more...” Lance trailed off, tilting his head.

Setting his hand on the wall next to the spy as Shiro frowned at him, but pressed the stone inward. With the grinding of stone against stone, the wall opened to reveal a winding hallway into darkness. Lance had headed into much worse then a dark, unfamiliar passage.

“Get out of here.” Lance moved past him, Shiro caught his wrist. Lance startled and looked into dark gray eyes. “See you in five days, do not be late to your own appointment.”

The intensity of the Crown Prince’s eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

Numbly nodding, Lance brushed his fingers over Shiro’s wrist, no longer looking him in the eye. The ringing of his Alchemy came through hard and strong. He could feel the blood pumping in their veins, Lance harshly shoved it down. 

Slipping through the passageway, Lance did his best to ignore how his abilities went from calm to raging in such a short time. Best to leave it as is.

He needed to speak with Allura now.

~

Shay froze, midway through her task, at the sound of a thud as something hit the wall.

Hesitantly, Shay crept around the corner to the source, her nails digging into her palm.

A dark-skinned man slid down the wall of the smithy. She could hear his low gasping breaths. He did not appear to be drunk, only troubled.

She carefully cleared her throat. “Excuse me?”

His head jerked up -- his breath still shaking -- revealing familiar blue eyes. Fear swam in the depths of his ocean eyes.

“Lance?” Shay asked worriedly, no longer concerned about it being a drunk stranger.

Lance didn’t respond, only gasped for breath. With a furrow in her brow, Shay kneeled next to Hunk’s friend.

At Lance’s flinch Shay snatched back her hand that she had been reaching towards his shoulder with. “What is wrong?”

Lance just jerked his head.

Shay pressed her lips frustratedly into a thin line. The questioning was doing no good.

“Lance, I need you to focus on my breathing and match it. Alright?” Shay asked slowly, careful that no one would hear easily.

Another jerky nod.

In a short time, Lance’s breathing was slowing down to a much less panicky speed.

As Shay opened her mouth to ask Lance a question there was shouting in the street.

“ _I think they went this way! They cannot be far!_ ” a vaguely familiar voice shouted.

_Knights_ , Shay thought as she looked back at Lance. His breathing had picked up again.

“Lance,” Shay murmured softly. “I am going to put my hand on your shoulder, alright?”

His panicked gasping continued without break, and he appeared more pale than he was before.

Slowly setting her hand on his shoulder, Shay urged him onto his feet. With soft murmurs of encouragement, Shay lead Lance into the smithy and to a seat.

Reluctantly releasing his shoulder, Shay calmly grabbed a blanket spreading it over his shoulders before setting the kettle on. Shay sat across from him and she saw that there was a notable change in his breathing, his heartbeat had slowed too.

“Why are the knights looking for you?” Shay asked lowly.

Lance’s hands tightened their grip on the blanket. “He’s so… kind. Cares so much.”

All Shay could think is, _What. The. Hell?_

“I don’t even understand how we are courting in the first place. Someone like him with someone like me.” Lance shook his head, the fire crackled softly. “It is crazy. I have never felt this way for anyone before, not like this. I never gave any thought to how he would really be. I expected your regular, stuck-up, self obsessed, self-centered prince. Not someone who goes out of his way and gives his everything when he’s invested.”

_Alright then… I can maybe work this._

“Are you… talking about Shiro?” Shay inquired.

The blush on his cheeks said everything. Shay grinned slightly.

“You were saying… he wasn’t what you expected, that is so Shiro. He is something else. But he isn’t what you expected, not in a bad way. That isn’t what is troubling you, What is?”

The kettle whistled, but Shay didn’t move just yet. Wary of breaking the moment of peace.

“I…” Lance’s voice shook, his hands twisted in the blanket. “I don’t want to lose him.”

Shay smiled at that. “Listen, Lance, sometimes people we get close to leave. If they leave then that means they weren’t meant to be by your side. Yes, it hurts. A lot sometimes, but it is the truth. If you lose him, maybe you can still cherish your memories with him?”

Lance nodded slowly while Shay quickly removed the kettle from the fire and poured the water into cups, adding in the tea leaves.

Setting the cup in front of Lance, Shay returned to her seat and wrapped her hands around her cup.

Lance murmured softly, “Thank you.”

Shay smiled. “You are very welcome. You are welcome to stay here the night, too, if you wish.”

Lance’s hold on the small cup tightened. He nibbled on his lip, his expression twisted uncertainly. “I should be going. Hunk will be worrying.” His eyes flicked to the door then back to the cup of tea. It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than her. “It really isn’t necessary to stay.”

Shay shrugged, not liking the faraway look in his eyes. “It is up to you. I need to sweep the floors anyway.”

He stayed.


	8. When I Think Of You

Takashi twisted, blocking his invisible opponent and striking out.

_Block. Punch. Block. Kick. Block._

He repeated the process, fighting with an enemy only he could see.

_Jab. Block. Twist. Block. Punch._

The rhythmic practice soothed his frayed nerves.

“Are you going to sleep anytime soon?” a voice asked, breaking through Takashi's focus.

Freezing on the spot, he looked to the source.

Sir Te’Osh leaned against his doorway with an unamused expression. “You have things to do tomorrow.”

“I cannot sleep, Sir Te’Osh,” Takashi admitted. “I have too much pent up energy.”

Her lips twitched. “Perhaps I can solve that for you.”

Takashi perked up. “Oh? Can you?”

“Get in position,” Sir Te’Osh directed as she fell into her usual position when they sparred.

The door was shut tightly behind her.

Takashi dropped into a fighting stance, a smirk crossing his face. Sir Te’Osh mirrored his smirk as they circled one another.

Sir Te’Osh struck out.

  
  
~

Takashi stared at his ceiling, debating on whether or not to bother to get up. With the late training session with Sir Te’Osh it had been a while before he had gotten to bed. Although it was earlier than doing it on his own would’ve. His body ached just at the thought of moving and leaving his warm bed.

He still had a few more hours before the meeting with Lance. The entire reason and a half for his mostly sleepless night.

Takashi was not in the mood to contemplate everything between the two of them. No matter how he tried to figure it out, it was only more confusing than the time before.

With a low groan, Takashi rolled over and pulled his blanket over his head. He could ignore the world for a little while longer. It’s not like he had much to do today.

Keith clearly did not agree with this as he threw open Takashi’s bedroom door.

“Rise and shine, Takashi!”

Takashi moaned in response. He was not in the mood. He wanted to have his slight crisis alone, in his bed, away from all noise.

He felt Keith plop next to him on the bed. “C’mon! Up and at ‘em!”

Takashi muttered grumpily into his pillow.

“What was that?”

“Quiznack. Off.” Takashi shoved his face back into his pillow. “I have hours before I have anywhere I have to go. Leave me alone.”

“So, you would rather stew in the fact that your fancy is a spy, then ignore the situation entirely until you have to talk about it?”

Takashi didn’t respond.

“Now that we are on the topic. What is so great about him anyway?! How do we know if we can trust him?!” Keith exclaimed.

That was the opposite of what he wanted to even think about.

Takashi propped his chin on his pillow and studied the wall. “Lance already made it clear that he could have gotten the information on his own.”

Keith scoffed.

“He is not wrong,” Takashi said, miserable. “I know next to nothing about _my_ own kingdom. What use would I be in that aspect? It is simpler to retrieve it himself.”   
“He--”

Keith opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

“Do not, Keith,” Takashi sighed and shook his head. “I know I should be thinking about it. About what I am going to say, but I really, really do not want to.”

Keith sighed. “Fine. Have it your way.”

Takashi shoved him off of the bed.

  
  
~

The evening of the fifth day came _way_ too fast. Before he knew it, Takashi was waiting with Keith for Lance. Keith was grumbling the entire way, so far from impressed it was gone from his vocabulary.

“I still, for one, think this is a terrible idea,” Keith repeated himself. For someone who hates repeating himself, he was certainly doing it a lot. “How can we know if we can trust them?”

“It’s not a matter of if you can trust us, but if we can trust _you_ , princey boy,” a very familiar voice drawled from above their heads. Takashi’s hand darted to the leather handle of his dagger, his eyes narrowing towards the source. “Well, I was hoping for a fresh start of a hopefully trusting relationship.”

“Hello, Lance.”

Keith scoffed irately. “What is this quiznacking “if we can trust you’?”

“The only way you are walking out of this with _any actual_ knowledge is if the leaders decide you are trustworthy. Come on, we don’t have all day,” Lance said curtly. All of his usual flair was missing, it was like he was separating himself from them. Shutting down their connection.

The eerie resemblance to Keith in his earlier years scared Takashi more than he’d ever like to admit.

“And what if we aren’t up to your standards?” Keith sniped. Takashi kept quiet, watching Lance’s back and walked a few paces behind him. Lance gave them an almost sad, but grim look.

“Let us hope it does not come to that.”

As unbearably quiet as it was, no one dared to say a word. Lance kept his hood down, Takashi was certain this was a peace offering of sorts. He would have appreciated it more if it didn’t feel like he was walking to his death. Not that he thought Lance would literally take him to his death, that much Takashi knew. Sure, Lance had omitted certain things about himself, but it’s not like one could or would admit to being a known thief without having years of trust. It did not sound like much, but if Lance had wanted to hurt him, he would have done it. Corona’s knights were not hard to get around if one was determined, and convincing Shiro to meet him in the forest would not have been hard, especially before when he did not know about the whole spy-and-thief deal.

Lance was the one to finally break the suffocating silence. His tone apprehensive. “After the meeting... would you perhaps want to come to dinner with me?”

A stark reminder that they were courting. The nearly overwhelming prospect of the upcoming meeting had made Takashi forget that they had not spoken of their relationship.

“Of course, Prince Keith can come if he wishes.” Takashi caught Lance glancing over at him.

The reminder only served to make his stomach flip uncomfortably as his face paled.

“I’ll go if Takashi goes,” Keith said sharply, but Takashi barely heard him over his thoughts.

Would they continue to court? Would they stop? Was the meeting a defining point in their relationship? Would the outcome either put a stop to their courting or allow it to continue? Which one did he want?

Something about Lance always put Takashi at ease, like he could be himself. From the very beginning, Takashi had felt that way despite them barely knowing each other. Lance had known who he was all along, yet he had allowed Takashi to set the boundaries and be comfortable in his own skin. Takashi knew Lance would not hurt him, not unless something drastically changed.

Ancients, his head was a mess. Takashi ran a hand through his tangled hair, tugging hair loose of his braid.

Keith made a grumpy noise. Takashi realized he had not answered and Lance was still watching him.

“Uh, yes! I would love to go to dinner with you,” Takashi sputtered as his ears burned. Just catching the flicker of relief across Lance’s face.

“What the--” Keith started, definitely scowling at his back.

“It will be with my friends as well.” Lance stopped in a clearing. He cleared his throat, turning to the two princes. “We’re here.”

Takashi looked around, there was no one in sight. Surely--

“There isn’t anything here.” Keith was glaring at Lance. “Is this some sort of trick?”

“No, no trick. Specifically, this is where you have to shed your cloaks, for now, until the meeting takes place. You can keep your weapons, but they must be on display. Just do not try to stab the Leader. Killing someone is not the best way to make friends! Unless you want dead people as friends… which you probably don’t want. Oh! Word to the wise, keep your hands visible and don’t make sudden moves. Some of us are a little trigger happy.”

“Why should I give up my cloak!” Keith questioned, glare darkening. Lance looked at him unamused. “I’m not going to play along with your...your games.”

“This is not a game. It is a matter of life or death. The Blade likes to be able to see what you are doing, fully.”

“Keith,” Takashi warned. “We should do as they require.”

“Takashi.”

“I do not mean any harm by it, it’s just the way of the Blade. We follow the rules and it keeps us alive.”

Takashi stared down at his brother. Watching the familiar stubborn look melt into a softer pout that he got when he knew he wouldn’t win.

“Ugh, fine,” Keith grumbled. Together, they removed their cloaks and handed them to Lance, who in turn, hung them over a branch at the edge of the clearing. 

“Are you ready?” Lance looked between the two brothers. Takashi nodded. The thief’s eyes narrowed at Keith. “It’s time.” 

Keith scowled as Lance beckoned them.

“What?” Shiro questioned, making it clear he wanted an explanation.

“It’s orders, you have to stand in the center of the clearing.” Lance had the gall to look sheepish. “Orders are orders, Shiro.”

Lance’s eyes flicked to the left, not staying on Shiro’s for longer than a breath.

“This is stupid.”

Takashi glanced at his brother, unshockingly, Keith was hurumphing at Lance.

“It is the way all new people are introduced.”

“What does that even mean?” Keith flipped his hands. “Is not there supposed to be equal trust?”

“Yes and no. We have to trust you first. You have to show enough trust to go through with our precautions.”

“What does this have to do with that?”

“This meeting is for you to make your statement.”

“What?”

The Black Hood just raised his eyebrow, flicking his hand behind him. The minor shine of metal on his hip reminded the two princes that they were in his territory and he was not just a friend.

Keith did not like the answer any better, but they complied. Allowing Lance to move them where he deemed the right place.

Lance turned away, his shoulder brushing Takashi’s as they waited. For what, Takashi was not quite sure; but it was coming. Daring to move, the prince brushed his hand against Lance’s. The thief linked their fingers together, his face giving nothing of what was going through his head.

“Lance,” Takashi said quietly. The spy’s face pinched for a moment.

Relaxing only a minuscule bit, Takashi squeezed Lance’s hand, getting a small one in return. It was reassuring to hold onto something familiar. A reassurance for what he was doing, while his thoughts bounced around. It was quiet, only the crunch of feet on fallen leaves and their soft breaths. All too soon, Lance pulled his hand away. A fleeting touch before it was gone, Takashi did not chase it since his attention was caught by the disturbance in the trees.

Two figures moved near silently out of treeline, only making enough noise to not startle them with a sudden appearance. As silent as they were they could have been spectres. The only clear difference between the figures was the height and width. They wore their hoods low enough that Takashi couldn’t catch a glimpse of their faces or even their hair.

Along the treeline were an indiscernible number of people stepping out from behind the trees and standing tall, their own weapons glinting. All of them were wrapped in dark cloaks, their hoods hiding their faces. A small flash of metal in the trees was a dangerous promise, if they dared to make the wrong move. Takashi felt his heart leap, going from calm to running like a stampede in a breath.

What did Lance say about trust? This felt… It was clearly a power move. A power move by a resistance that rebelled against one of the most powerful kingdoms there ever was. Backing down was not an option, it was like an elevated platform in a Court drama.

At least he knew how to play that game. This time it was just in a new role.

Takashi takes in all the men around them, looking at the two directly in front, last. There is a prickling feeling at the back of his mind, he wished he knew just where Lance was. It was strange, Takashi hadn’t had this many eyes on him, attentive and paying attention to what he was going to say, in years.

Not daring to look elsewhere, Takashi kept his eyes fixed on the first two as the hoods dropped, revealing their strange masks. The shorter one had pink details where the eyes would be, they almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. The taller one had a deep purple color. The masks hid their faces, their expressions, it was unsettling. Even for the Crown Prince who was used to masking his own expressions.

“What is your stance?” a clear powerful voice spoke. Takashi couldn’t tell which one was speaking, but he was certain that they were the leaders, Lance’s employers.

“My stance?” Takashi asked, arching his eyebrow.

“Yes, your stance on the war with the Dark Kingdom.” Takashi’s breath caught for a moment before smoothing out, this was the first time anyone had actually asked him that. “What could you offer us that would be beneficial? Is there worth in you knowing of us?” The second voice spoke again, Takashi was fairly certain that it was the shorter one.

Inhaling, Takashi rose to his full height and called upon his Crown Prince persona. The persona that made people stop, listen, and pay attention to what he had to say. He could feel the shift in the people’s tension with his transformation. Keith stood taller, feeling the shift in Takashi and the watchers, matching the change in his brother.

No longer was it Takashi and Keith who stood in the clearing, but rather Crown Prince Takashi and Knight Prince Keith. There was underlying authority in their stances, cultivated from years of meetings. Even meetings where no one listened to them.

“My stance is that it’s bloody, it’s destructive, and it’s costing people. The Dark Empire is making its way through the lands and no one is safe from Zarkon. I do not know as much as I should about the war, my uncle bars me from the true war counsels. However, Corona has resources that we can realistically spare to help your forces. There is value in having an ally with higher standing and in line for the throne.” Takashi refused to falter under the scrutiny. “But you already know more than I do. The only thing I have to offer is more resources and places for hiding when necessary.”

The silence that followed was unbearable, Takashi resisted the urge to look to Keith or find Lance. Choosing to focus on those in front of him, not letting his guard down while they watched him in silence.

“Alright,” they spoke, the shorter one stepped forward. “Black Hood will tell you about the next meeting, take them out.”

With the meeting at a clear end, Takashi forced back the many questions he had, he needed to play by their rules. For now.

“We are the Blade of Marmora. Welcome to the rebellion,” the leader with a deeper voice spoke again as they disappeared. Leaving no trace behind.

All but a little of his tension lessened, allowing him to breathe again.

Hood down, Lance tossed their cloaks back to the princes.

“Come on.”

Following the Black Hood again, relief and nervousness cinched around his chest. The faint creak of wood, Shiro felt a breeze across his face.

“Where do we go now?” Takashi questioned.

Following Lance out of the clearing, Takashi didn’t miss him glancing upwards.

Smiling over his shoulder, Lance promised, “Food.”

“Food?” Keith asked accusingly.

“Yes, food,” Lance said nodding, the tension he had displayed earlier was all but gone. “You said yes to dinner, so dinner we go.”

  
  
~

As they neared the edge of the forest, the Crown Prince noticed tension growing in the spy’s form. Like he was waiting for something.

In a blink, Lance was facing the opposite direction with an arrow drawn back. He stared at a spot on a branch above their heads as Takashi turned, a bit slower on the uptake.

“I was wondering when you’d decide to show up,” Lance commented, still staring.

“Have to keep you on your toes somehow,” a feminine voice teased as a woman with white hair holding a bow of her own dropped to the ground smoothly, with grace Takashi couldn’t help but be jealous of. 

Slowly, Lance lowered his bow and unstrung his arrow.

“You two know each other, I take it,” Keith drawled, sarcasm clear in his voice.

“How did you ever guess? Did the joke give it away?” Lance asked snarkily. 

“Nah, I think it was how you didn’t shoot her,” Keith said, face held in a blank expression. Lance cracked a smile as Takashi nearly snorted.

“Are you coming with?”

“Well…” the woman trailed off, she appeared to be watching the arrow Lance was twirling in his fingers. “Is that a new arrow?”

“Yes, in fact it is. Which you would know if you had visited.”

Lance started walking again, Takashi gaped at his back. That was sharp worded, even to him.

“Oh no, you are not leaving me with that!” She was already past Takashi and beside Lance.

“Then you are coming to dinner,” Lance stated, glaring lightly at her. Takashi felt as if he was intruding, he shifted on his feet. “Allura, you have to visit sometime, Pidge is moping. We haven’t seen you in months, not outside work at least.” Lance paused for a moment, glancing meaningfully at the two princes. “I mentioned before I left that you might be coming for dinner. There’s probably going to be your favorite.”

If it hadn’t been obvious before that they knew each other well, it was unmistakable.

“Alright, alright! You have me sold, I’ll come to dinner,” Allura eased up, a smile in her voice. “I have been gone a lot, I do admit.”

Lance snorted. “You do admit.”

“How do you know each other?” Takashi asked, finally getting his words together as he glanced between the two.

“Oh, you know. Work,” Lance said, almost dismissively.

“Would it really be my favorite?” Allura pressed.

“Yes, it would. ‘Lura, really sweetie, we’re not angry. We miss you,” Lance assured, patting her arm, his face softening. “We, and I mean all three of us. Pidge, though worries that you’re going to overwork yourself. First and foremost, you are our friend. You might be banished to the floor though. We only share so much. I’m not even sure if we’d all fit on the bed.”

Allura threw her head back, laughing deep and loud as Lance’s face twisted in a “deep thought” look.

“Well then, we don’t want to be late for dinner, do we?”

“Not at all!” Lance’s eyes flicked to Takashi and Keith, who Takashi was certain were radianting confusion. “You're both coming for dinner, right?”

“Yes, I already agreed. You were bragging about your friend’s cooking.” Takashi said, trying to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest at every moment that Lance looked so soft and warm. Glancing at his brother proved an amazing distraction, Keith looked like he swallowed a lemon as he nodded.

And just like that, Lance led them through the streets to the inn Takashi had visited only a fortnight ago, despite that it felt like much longer since then, with all that had happened.

The group passed the other patrons in the inn, walking up the steps. Allura and Lance didn’t stop chattering the entire time. Takashi could not stop staring at them, seeing Lance interact with close friends was an opportunity he had never had before.

Stopping in front of one of the doors, Lance knocked on it before calling out, “We’re home!”

The person Takashi recognized from the other day opened the door; an unimpressed look on their face before it transformed, flitting from shock to delight to pure happiness. Takashi watched with surprise as the person slammed into Allura. They jumped up, wrapping their legs around Allura’s waist while kissing her fiercely on the lips.

Unbothered, Lance walked into the room, announcing to whomever else was there, “I’m home! And I brought friends~”

Slipping past the two still kissing, Takashi caught sight of the blacksmith. Despite Lance’s calls, Hunk wasn’t looking up from the fireplace as he was stirring something in a pot that smelled delicious.

Just inside the room Lance hung up his cloak, bow, and quiver.

“Hunk!” Keith’s startled voice broke Takashi out of his thoughts.

“What’s the shock, prince-y boy? Hunk and I are friends,” Lance informed the princes pointedly. Leaning on the back of the chair by the circular table that took up the center of the room. “Is there anything you need, Hunk ol’ buddy, ol’ pal, o’ mine?”

“You could set the table,” Hunk answered, there was a strange lilt to it, but Takashi wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not. The blacksmith stared wide-eyed at Keith.

Allura passed them then, carrying the person in her arms with ease. Sitting down on one of the chairs, they were leaning into the strokes through their hair like some sort of cat.

“Allura!” Lance exclaimed, sounding incredibly affronted. “Rule Six.”

The Celestial Alchemist sighed, making no move to get up. Allura turned her eyes to him, big and pouty lips had come out.

“What’s Rule Six?” Takashi prompted, glancing between the three of them.

“You cannot do it for me?”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “And take away your chance to show off your strength to your partner and intimidate people, never!”

“Rule Six?” Takashi asked, wary of the answer.

“Household rules, number six is that no weapons are allowed at the table. I know for a fact Allura didn’t disarm herself. Oh! And —“ Lance looked to Takashi “—that applies to you two as well. Our house — well room — our rules.”

Keith’s eyebrows went to greet his bangs, even as he reluctantly pulled his gaze away from Hunk. “Why?”

It was Hunk who answered, the blacksmith chuckling awkwardly. “It is better for everyone if no one has tools on hand to maim another with... We made that mistake before.” There seemed to be a dirty look directed at the one who was still in Allura’s lap, who only smiled innocently in return. “So, if you will just put them by the door and you can get them back after dinner.”

“Hunk, just ask him nicely,” Lance said. “He won’t be as pissy.”

“What is your deal?” Keith hissed, glaring at Lance. The thief gave him a bored look, flipping a table knife in his hand.

“Here,” Hunk offered, holding out his hand.

Blood making its way into his face, Keith handed a dagger and sword to Hunk. Holding the two weapons out to Lance, he picked them out of Hunk’s hands -- a strange expression, Takashi could’ve sworn it was recognition, flicked over Lance’s face before it was a perfect blank mask-- added the dagger to the row of daggers near the door and the sword laid flat among others.

“Is dinner just about ready?” Lance asked, peering closer.

“It is now. Pidge,” Hunk said pointedly, “Grab the utensils for me.”

_Pidge_ , Takashi repeated, glad that he now had a name for the face.

“ _Fine_ ,” they grumbled. Clearly reluctant to part from Allura.

While Pidge grabbed utensils and dishes, Allura was shucking her weapons. Reminding Takashi he hadn’t removed his own.

Grinning at him, Lance asked, “Wanna hand over the sharp stabby objects, Shiro?”

“Rule Six, I suppose I have to,” Takashi joked lightly, relieving his sheath of his broadsword.

“It is for the best. Even table knives are dangerous here.”

Catching Lance’s eye, Takashi felt himself relax. Even if it wasn’t clear what all of this meant for their relationship, he had hope they would work it. Hope might be scary and dangerous in such a case, but Takashi found that he was calm. Something about Lance just did that for him.

Make that hope and confidence.

Takashi caught Lance’s hand, pressing a fleeting kiss to Lance’s knuckles.

~~

With food on the table, Allura leaned forward over her plate, narrowing her eyes dangerously. The Corona prince shifted nervously under her calculating gaze.

“Wha’ ar’ you doing, ‘Lura?” Lance asked through his mouthful of food.

“That is disgusting, Lance, chew with your mouth closed. Honestly, I thought you were more civilized than that,” Allura chided. Pidge snickered lightly, but quieted quickly with their own bite of food.

In response to Allura’s words, Lance chewed obnoxiously loud.

Allura looked back at the now nervous princes. It was intriguing to see how different they acted around Lance, Pidge, and Hunk than in the meeting with the Blade. It was understandable, but incredibly fascinating. The Crown Prince’s hard composure and focus fell away to soft smiles and relaxed muscles. The Knight Prince relaxed after leaving the meeting, clearly trusting his brothers judgement. 

“What are your intentions towards Lance?”

“My intentions?” the prince repeated slowly.

“Yes. Your intentions towards Lance.” Allura took a dainty bite of her dinner.

“To court him,” Shiro said seriously with a touch of confusion.

Allura hummed, taking another bite. “What are your thoughts on the inherent power imbalance caused by wealth hoarding?"

“Ultimate power corrupts ultimately, when you have people who do great things with great power, but also those that do not,” Shiro said, settling down his fork. “What are your thoughts on the topic?”

Allura smiled. “I have to agree with your statement. Some people with great power do great things, but there are the selfish ones that make things worse for the rest of us.”

Shiro smiled back.

“Have you had any ex-lovers?” Allura asked. At Shiro’s negative shake, Allura’s eyebrows shot up. “How have you not had any?”

“All of my suitors were more interested in my title and power than of the person I am,” Shiro said simply, shrugging one shoulder as he picked up his fork once again and began eating.

Lance clapped his hands as he said, “Alright, Allura, ease off a little. You don’t need to scare him off. I can see Pidge plotting _things_ already.”

“Alright, alright.” Allura rolled her eyes fondly. “Only because my food will get cold.”

She heard Lance’s whispered “you got off lucky” to Shiro, her lips quirking up as she hid it by pecking Pidge’s lips. Sliding their fingers together again, Allura squeezed tightly and sighed contently.

“It is so good to eat dinner with you again.”

“It is!” Hunk piped up. “It feels like it has been forever since we last saw you. It was like three or four moons the last time we met up, outside of work.”

Allura hummed in agreement. “It has been busy.”

Lance groaned, rather dramatically. “Guys! You know there is no work talk allowed at the dinner table!”

“Oh shush,” Pidge said, waving their fork threateningly at Lance. “You have at least gotten to see Allura recently, unlike Hunk and me. If work is the only topic Allura can talk about, then so be it.”

Lance rolled his eyes at them. “Allura can find another topic. If you wanted to hear her beautiful voice so much, I’m sure we have a poetry book she can recite.”

Allura grinned. “I do not need a book to recite it.”

“Don’t you dare, ‘Lura!”

Allura barked out a laugh and squeezed Pidge’s hand tighter, glancing at her partner out of the corner of her eye. It really was good to be with them again.


End file.
